Thank you for a momentous 2025!

Recently, the Afterschool Alliance team attended a site visit at Kidpower, hosted in Payne Elementary School in Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to sit with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students as they spent a frosty December afternoon exploring the origins, music, and dances of Brazil’s carnevale; researching the history and symbolism behind D.C.’s official flower, tree, and bird; and considering all the necessary components for survival, as well as urban development best practices, to construct a habitat on Mars.

Every single day, afterschool programs are expanding the horizons for our young people: keeping them safe in the after-school hours, inspiring them to learn, and giving their parents peace of mind until the workday ends and they can pick their children up.

My heart is full as I think back on the momentous year we’ve had and the remarkable afterschool field that is the core of everything we do at the Afterschool Alliance. I can’t let the year end without emphasizing some highlights!

Release the Funds

2025 has pushed the afterschool field to its limits and we could not be prouder of how our organization, our allies, and stakeholders responded. Thanks to decades of building connections within the afterschool field, when federal afterschool funding for 1.4 million students was threatened, we were able to spring into action. Against tremendous odds, the afterschool field stood its ground, rallied support in every corner of the country, engaged Republican and Democratic allies, and restored funding for 10,000 programs across our nation. Support for afterschool and summer learning continued as both House and Senate draft funding bills sustained funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC). This short video highlights the scope and success of our work.

America After 3PM

In October, our team published America After 3PM, the nation’s most comprehensive survey on how young people spend the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. The results are staggering: more than 3 in 4 children nationwide are missing out on afterschool programs – at the same time, parent satisfaction with existing programs and support for public funding are at all-time highs. Our team is leveraging the new data to bring more attention to the critical supports afterschool programs provide for young people, families, and communities, and to encourage more public investment in this essential space.

Lights On Afterschool

On October 25, more than 8,000 programs opened their doors to their communities to showcase afterschool’s impact on the lives of children and family every single day. This year’s Lights On Afterschool celebrated all that afterschool and summer programs do to help children stay safe, build life and work skills, reduce screen time, and get excited about learning.

Looking ahead

The afterschool and summer field showed its strength and sophistication, and parents, communities, and leaders showed how much they value programs. We are bringing this energy into 2026 as we press for sustained investments from the federal government—especially for 21st CCLC and child care—and building on the momentum of increased state funding for afterschool and summer.

We will have 3 America After 3PM special reports coming out, focusing on summer, STEM, and health and wellness. We look forward to using that data, and helping the field use that data, to demonstrate value and advocate for the programs that parents rely on.

In 2026, we will closely monitor the midterm elections and the surrounding policy landscape, including efforts to close the U.S. Department of Education and shift 21st CCLC activities to the Department of Labor. We are also advocating to make sure that the new tax credit/scholarship provision passed this summer in H.R. 1 will allow more students to attend afterschool and summer learning programs. This 2-pager lays out our anticipated work as the Department of Treasury develops guidance on this tax provision that could provide significant support for our field. Already, our early efforts have helped two state afterschool networks receive funding to explore becoming administrators of this tax credit scholarship in their states. 

We are taking some time to rest before we launch into a busy and exciting 2026. Until then, my warmest thanks go out to our partners, colleagues, friends, and supporters as we advance our mission to ensure every child has access to a safe, affordable, and engaging afterschool program. And to the afterschool programs who made 2025 a safer, more engaging, more thrilling year for our children: thank you! Happy holidays.