America After 3PM: Middle School Youth

The 2020 edition of the Afterschool Alliance’s America After 3PM report – which includes survey response data from more than 10,000 U.S. families of middle school students – reveals that while parents of middle school students recognize the many benefits of afterschool programs, for every middle schooler in an afterschool program, three more would participate if a program were available to them.

Newly released data from the America After 3PM among Middle School fact sheet, made possible with the support from the New York Life Foundation, shows that parents recognize the critical role afterschool programs play in preparing middle school youth for their transition to high school. Afterschool programs offer experiences that support young people in both their academic learning and social and emotional growth – essential to success in the higher grades and beyond.

Among parents with middle school students, 80% report that their middle schooler is building confidence in their afterschool program and 73% report their middle schooler is learning responsible decision making skills from their afterschool program. Additionally, parents overwhelmingly report that their middle school students in afterschool programs are engaging in academically enriching activities, such as STEM learning opportunities (74%) and reading and writing (69%).

America After 3PM data also reveals that parents recognize how these same programs can be beneficial for them and their families. More than 7 in 10 parents agree that afterschool programs allow them to keep their job or work more hours (77%) and also report afterschool programs help them build their own skills through classes or workshops (71%), and 59% agree that the program connects them with community resources.

These many benefits are just some of the reasons why parents of middle school students are satisfied with their child’s program. In fact, America After 3PM finds that satisfaction with programs is the highest it has ever been, with more than 9 in 10 parents (93%) reporting being satisfied with their middle schoolers’ program, up from 89% in 2014 and 88% in 2009. Approximately 5 in 6 parents of middle school students (84%) also agree that all young people deserve access to quality afterschool and summer programs.

Yet, the 2020 edition of the America After 3PM report finds that nearly 5 million middle school students are still waiting to get into an afterschool program – an increase of almost 1 million students since 2014, the last recording of such data.

Along with the increase in unmet demand, more parents in 2020 report facing barriers to enrolling their child in an afterschool program. Barriers such as cost (57%) and lack of a safe way to and from the program (53%) remain among the top reasons why parents did not enroll their middle schooler in an afterschool program. Notably, these are increases of 14 and 12 percentage points respectively from 2014. Like their peers in other age groups, these barriers have resulted in skyrocketing unmet demand. For every one middle schooler in an afterschool program, three more would participate in a program if one were available to them.

When asked about support of public funding for afterschool programs, 87% of parents of middle schoolers are in favor of public funding for afterschool opportunities to students in communities that have few opportunities for children and youth. Support is high across the political spectrum, with 91% of parents of middle school youth who identify as Democratic, 87% who identify as Independent, and 85% who identify as Republican in favor.

“Middle school parents say afterschool programs are doing a stellar job, helping meet many of their children’s needs and supporting their families as well. But investments in afterschool have failed to keep up with demand, and that puts millions of children and youth at risk. The pandemic is exacerbating the struggles,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “Every parent should have access to an affordable, quality afterschool program that will keep their child safe, supervised and learning. At the Afterschool Alliance, we are proud of our partnership with The New York Life Foundation, which has made middle school a priority. Through its Aim High grants, over the last five years, the New York Life Foundation has already provided more than $6 million to middle school programs. These funds make afterschool programs even stronger. We need even more business, philanthropic, federal, state and local support in order to meet the needs of students and their families after school.”