NOV. 17 I AFTERSCHOOL ALLIANCE I STATS
Afterschool Programs Make Gains

A new survey from the Afterschool Alliance has found that participation in afterschool programs is on the rise.

Nationwide, the percentage of children enrolled in afterschool programs has increased from 11 to15 percent since 2004, while the number of children unsupervised during the afternoon has also increased 25 percent during the same time period.

Mary Peavey, president of Peavey Electronics and a member of the Afterschool Alliance’s national board of directors, said she’s happy that people are embracing afterschool programs but remains cautions.

“Today, public support for afterschool programs is high, but the number of unsupervised children is growing,” Peavey said. “We’ve made significant progress, but there is still a lot of work to do.”

The statistics were part of the America After 3 P.M. study, conducted for the Afterschool Alliance and sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. The results were released in conjunction with the 10th annual Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide rally held in October. The event was celebrated in more than 7,500 communities.

afterschoolalliance.org