Top Ten States for Afterschool Programs

In 2009, families nationwide were surveyed to see how many children are in afterschool programs, how many are unsupervised after school and how these numbers compare to five years ago.  America After 3 PM provides the most comprehensive and accurate picture to date of what this nation’s youth are doing each day after school. Overall, America After 3PM finds that while more kids are in afterschool programs today than five years ago, the demand for programs has also increased. As would be expected, there is variability in the findings from state to state.

Through an examination of a number of key indicators, a set of "Top 10 States for Afterschool" emerged. While they all have significant unmet need for afterschool programs, comparatively these "Top 10 States for Afterschool" in 2009 have some of the lowest rates of self-care combined with the highest rates of afterschool participation and satisfaction – all of which adds up to a winning combination for children and parents in these states. Yet, even in these top 10 states, too many children and families do not have access to quality afterschool opportunities.  America After 3PM was conducted for the Afterschool Alliance and sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund.

Top Ten States for Afterschool Programs

Hawaii
Arizona
New York
California
New Jersey
Virginia
New Mexico
Florida
Texas
North Carolina

Read the full America After 3PM Top Ten States for Afterschool Report for details on how each state rated on a variety of factors.

Methodology

To identify the "Top 10 States for Afterschool," a composite score was computed for each state, combining the following variables:

• Percent of children in afterschool programs - weighted by the average hours per week each child spends in afterschool programs
• Percent of children in self-care - inverse proportion
• Percent of parents who agree "afterschool programs are available in my area"
• Percent of program participants who qualify for free or reduced price lunch program (proxy for low-income households)
• Percent of parents of program participants who reported satisfaction with their afterschool program
• Percent of parents of program participants who reported satisfaction with program features identified as having the greatest impact on overall program satisfaction. Based on a regression analysis, the following features were determined to be the most influential: Quality of care; Variety of activities; Program cost

Go to map with state-by-state data
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