Take action for afterschool on March 6

This blog is part of our Advocating For Afterschool series, where we share tools and best practices to help make the case for afterschool to policymakers at the local, state, and national levels. To see more installments of the series, check out the Advocacy tag on The Afterschool Snack.

The President’s 2027 budget proposal is likely to eliminate funding for afterschool and summer programs, putting 1.4 million youth and 10,000 programs at risk.

Mark your calendars and join us for a Day of Action on Friday, March 6, 2026, as afterschool advocates nationwide urge Congress to protect funding for our local programs.

Afterschool and summer programs keep kids safe during the hours when school is out, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace of mind knowing their child is supervised while they are at work. Yet access remains out of reach for far too many families. Of the nearly 30 million youth whose parents want afterschool programs, more than 3 in 4 are missing out. Every family should have the opportunity to enroll their child in a quality program that helps young people learn, grow, and thrive. 

How to take action on March 6:

1. Contact Congress: Let your representatives know that afterschool and summer learning programs are invaluable to your community. Use our one-click tool on March 6 to send a pre-written message directly to your members of Congress.

2. Spread the word on social media: Copy or customize the sample social posts in our digital action toolkit to help build momentum and amplify the message nationwide. Use the hashtag #AfterschoolWorks to join the conversation.

Now is the time to stand up for the young people and families who rely on these programs. Let’s raise our voices and tell Congress why afterschool works!