Afterschool Fact Sheet
©2005 Afterschool Alliance
1616 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
(202) 347-1002
The Afterschool Hours in America
More than 14 million school age children (25%) are on their own after school.America
After 3 PM, May 2004
The parents of more than 28 million school-age children work outside the home.U.S.
Department of Labor
Only 6.5 million K-12 children (11%) participate in afterschool programs. An additional
15 million would participate if a quality program were available in their community.America
After 3 PM, May 2004
The hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation
with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex.Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2002
9 in 10 Americans want all children and teens to have some type of organized activity
or safe place to go after school.Election Eve Poll, November 2004
More than half of voters (55 percent) think that there are not enough afterschool
programs available for children in America today.Afterschool Alliance Poll, September
2003
Afterschool Programs Benefit Youth, Families & Communities
Teens who do not participate in afterschool programs are nearly three times more
likely to skip classes than teens who do participate. They are also three times
more likely to use marijuana or other drugs, and they are more likely to drink alcohol,
smoke cigarettes and engage in sexual activity.YMCA of the USA, March 2001
Parents in New York City said that their child's afterschool program helped them
balance work and family life:
- 60 percent said they missed less work than before because of the program.
- 59 percent said it supported them in keeping their jobs.
Policy Studies Associates, Inc., February 2001
Students in a statewide program in California improved their standardized test scores
(SAT-9) in both reading and math by percentages almost twice that of other students
and also had better school attendance. The program cut high school drop out by 20%.University
of California Irvine, May 2001 and March 2006
Boys and girls in the Quantum Opportunities afterschool program were half as likely
to drop out of high school and two and one half times more likely to go on to further
education after high school than their peers. (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2000
A Brandeis University study estimates that decreased worker productivity due to
stress and absenteeism caused by issues related to afterschool care arrangements
costs employers $496.00 to $1,984.00 per employee, per year, depending on the employee's
annual salary.Community, Families and Work Program at Brandeis University, 2004
Students (pre-k through 8th grade) in The After-School Corporation (TASC) supported
afterschool programs improved their math scores and regular school day attendance
compared to non-participants. High school level afterschool participants passed
more Regent exams and earned more high school credits than non-participants.Policy
Studies Associates, July 2004
