Where is the Value of After School Programs?

There is some criticism about after school programs. For some these are a waste of time and money. It is not so for private organization ACE Mentor Program of America, the Construction Industry Round Table, the Pennsylvania Area Council of Boys and Girls Clubs, CentroNia and the Verizon Foundation.

Today on Senate U.S. briefing these organizations presented progress of the work they are doing to promote and provide afterschool activities in their communities.

People of the NSBA(National School Boards Association) were also present and they wrote a wrap up of the state of the afterschool programs in the United States:

More than 15 million children are left unsupervised at the close of the school day, yet more than 18.5 million parents report they would make their children participate in afterschool programs if they were “affordable and available”. Currently only 11 percent of the cost of afterschool programs are being funded by the federal government, this according to the bipartisan senate afterschool caucus, which naturally begs the question, should this number be increased?

Of course, we think it needs to be increased. Many kids will benefit of help and tutoring in the afterschool sessions, but working parents can comply with their responsibility, given they know their kids are not home alone or on the streets.