A strong increase in participation in afterschool programs by Washington youth over the last five years, along with high satisfaction rates among their parents for the variety of activities offered and program cost, has landed the state in the Afterschool Alliance's newly named list of six “States on the Move to Afterschool for All.”
The list is based on data from the landmark “America After 3 P.M.” study, conducted for the Afterschool Alliance and sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund.
America After 3P.M. found that 12 percent of Washington schoolchildren are enrolled in afterschool programs, up from eight percent in 2004.
Despite the significant increase in the number of Washington children attending afterschool programs over the last five years, 31 percent of the state's schoolchildren remain on their own in the afternoons, and another 15 percent are in the care of their brothers or sisters. In addition, the parents of 27 percent of children not already in afterschool programs say they would enroll their kids in a program if one were available.
Eighty-seven percent of Washington parents say they are satisfied with the afterschool program their child attends.
In key respects, the Washington results from the America After 3PM study reflect national findings:
The number and percentage of children participating in afterschool programs in the nation has increased significantly in the last five years, with 8.4 million children (15 percent) now participating. That compares with 6.5 million children in 2004 (11 percent).
The number of children left alone after the school day ends also has risen, to 15.1 million children (26 percent of school-age children) in 2009. That is an increase of 800,000 children since 2004. Thirty percent of middle schoolers (3.7 million kids) are on their own, as are four percent of elementary school children (1.1 million children).
The parents of 18.5 million children (38 percent) not currently participating in an afterschool program would enroll their children in a program if one were available to them, a significant increase from the 15.3 million (30 percent) seen in 2004.
The vast majority of parents of children in afterschool programs are satisfied with the programs their children attend, and overall public support for afterschool programs is similarly strong. Nine in 10 parents (89 percent) are satisfied with the afterschool programs their children attend. Eight in 10 parents support public funding for afterschool programs.
In conjunction with the study, JCPenney is launching an Afterschool Round-Up fundraising program in its stores. From Oct. 16 to 25, customers will have the opportunity to “round-up” their JCPenney purchases to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to afterschool programs in their local communities that provide life-enriching programs for children in need. Last year, through “Round Up” and other initiatives, JCPenney contributed nearly $400,000 in Washington to support local afterschool initiatives.
The America After 3PM report and accompanying data are available online at www.afterschoolalliance.org.
