New Survey Shows Recession Hurting Kentucky’s Afterschool Programs and the Families They Serve
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More Struggling Students but Fewer Resources Available

Just as children in Kentucky’s communities need more help, afterschool program leaders across the state say they are being forced to increase fees and reduce staffing, activities and hours to cope with budget cuts and rising costs. Nearly all Kentucky respondents to a survey of afterschool programs (98%) say the recession is affecting their communities and report that they are seeing higher food prices and more families struggling to provide for children. Yet afterschool programs are unable to offer as much help as children need because their budgets are down. 91% of respondents say children in their communities need afterschool care but are unable to access it.

Kentucky’s findings are consistent with those in the national survey, which included 1,447 respondents representing 8,587 after-school sites serving 1.2 million children. In Kentucky, 53 afterschool leaders responded to the web-based survey, conducted by the Afterschool Alliance in April and May. According to “Uncertain Times 2009: Recession Imperiling Afterschool Programs and the Children They Serve,” nearly seven in 10 Kentucky programs (67%) report a loss in funding due to the recession, and 88% expect the recession to impact their budget for the coming school year. In response to funding woes, program leaders are being forced to add or increase fees, providing significant barriers to participation, afterschool program leaders said.

Summer programs are offered by 75% of respondents and 44% expect enrollment to be higher this summer, adding more strain to program budgets. 24% of programs say they would need to at least double capacity to serve all the kids in the community who need after-school care.

“This new survey documents a world of hurt all across the country,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “We’re not protecting our kids from the economic pain or even maintaining the safety nets they count on. Afterschool programs serve a high need population; two-thirds of students who attend these programs in Kentucky qualify for free or reduced price lunches. When programs must charge or raise fees or reduce hours, more children will be unsupervised and at risk after the school day ends. It is alarming that more than half the respondents in the state (51%) say their budgets are inadequate to meet the needs of students and families. We have to do better by our kids.”

A “Roadmap to Afterschool for All,” released by the Afterschool Alliance in April, found that there are afterschool programs for children whose parents and guardians can afford to pay tuition and fees, but our afterschool system is leaving behind millions of low-income children whose parents cannot pay. This assessment found that the federal government covers only 11% of the cost of afterschool, even though 29% of children in programs qualify for federal assistance. It concludes that a federal investment of less than $18 billion would give 5.6 million low-income youth access to the academic support, supervision, mentoring and fitness opportunities, snacks and other benefits.

Yet federal funds are lacking. Funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), the chief federal funding stream for afterschool programs, is stalled at $1.13 billion even though the No Child Left Behind Act authorized $2.5 billion. President Obama’s FY2010 budget proposal would flat fund 21st CCLCs.

“Quality afterschool programs do incredible work keeping kids safe, inspiring them to learn and helping working families,” Grant added. “These programs also provide students with healthy snacks, sometimes dinner and breakfast and a range of social services that students and families urgently need. But afterschool programs cannot serve all the children who need them when they are badly underfunded. Even in these tough economic times when there’s tremendous pressure for resources, we have to find a way to do better. Investing in afterschool programs pays off over time in healthier, more successful students and youth.”

The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs. Uncertain Times used a web-based survey software to complete this survey. More information is available at www.afterschoolalliance.org.