Afterschool Alliance Research
Informing providers, advocates, and policymakers for 20 years
Delve into our vast collection of research resources that show afterschool programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring learning, and helping working families across the country.
An integral component of Afterschool Alliance’s mission to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs is research that assesses and examines the ways children spend their time during the afterschool hours, the opportunities afterschool programs provide the children and families in their communities, and the public support for these programs.
This section contains research materials the Afterschool Alliance has produced over the past 15 years. Find the resource that best fits your needs by searching by document type or by issue area. If you are interested in learning more about afterschool programs, explore Afterschool Essentials, or find out how many children are in afterschool programs by visiting the America After 3PM page. You can also search by issue topic and learn more about afterschool programs supporting young people in variety of areas and subjects, ranging from the arts to health and wellness to STEM.
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Investments in Student Recovery: A Review of School Districts' Use of American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Afterschool and Summer Opportunities (October 2023) Federal funds distributed to school districts across the nation to aid in pandemic-related recovery represent a unique opportunity to support students through afterschool and summer programs. This brief illustrates how school districts allocated their American Rescue Plan Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds toward afterschool and summer learning opportunities and the strategies districts used to support students’ learning recovery. It also provides recommendations to maximize future investments in afterschool and summer programs to help young people learn, be healthy, and thrive.
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Afterschool Programs Open, but Still Recovering Post-Pandemic (February 2023) In a survey of 1,016 afterschool program providers, conducted between October 24 and November 30, 2022, more than 9 in 10 report that they are open, with majorities providing their students with opportunities for academic enrichment, collaboration and connection with their peers, building foundational skills, and leadership opportunities. However, while providers are increasingly reporting that they have been able to return to pre-COVID capacity limits, there are still nearly 1 in 4 providers who say that they have not been able to return to their regular operational capacity. Surveys COVID-19 |
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Afterschool: A Bipartisan Solution to Help Young People Thrive (October 2022) At a time of deep partisan divides, Afterschool Alliance surveys of parents of school-age children before and during the pandemic have found an area of consensus around support for afterschool and summer learning programs. Across the political spectrum, parents identifying as Democratic, Independent, and Republican strongly agree that afterschool and summer learning programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring learning, and providing peace of mind to working parents, with overwhelming majorities in favor of public funding for such programs. Parents and Families Surveys COVID-19 |
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Access to Afterschool Programs Remains a Challenge for Many Families (August 2022) A survey of approximately 1,500 parents or guardians of school-age children, conducted May 22-June 28, 2022, provides a snapshot of the current afterschool program landscape during the pandemic, documenting that while children and families who are able to access afterschool programs report high levels of satisfaction, for every child in an afterschool program, there are four more who are waiting to get in. COVID-19 |
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Navigating Afterschool Challenges in 2022 - Wave 7 (July 2022) This dashboard includes findings from the seventh wave of the Afterschool Alliance's Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 series, conducted in spring 2022. Ninety-seven percent of providers across the country report that their programs were open in some capacity this year, but staffing remains a top concern, with almost 7 in 10 providers saying they are extremely or very concerned about finding staff to hire/staffing shortages, and 51 percent reporting waiting lists for their programs. COVID-19 |
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How COVID Relief Funding is a Lifeline for Afterschool and Summer Programs During the Pandemic (July 2022) Funds from the American Rescue Plan present a tremendous opportunity to help afterschool and summer programs support the children and families in their communities. Although results from the seventh wave of Afterschool Alliance’s survey series, conducted March 21 through April 12, 2022, show that a large share of providers have not accessed COVID relief funding, for those who have, the funding has allowed them to hire more staff, serve more students, and expand their programming. COVID-19 |
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Afterschool Rising to Challenges Brought by the Pandemic - Waves 1-6 (February 2022) Beginning in late spring 2020 and through late 2021, the six waves of Afterschool Alliance’s Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 online survey, conducted by Edge Research, documents afterschool and summer programs’ operating status, services, and challenges throughout COVID-19. The series demonstrates that through the ups and downs of the pandemic, what has remained constant is the ability of the afterschool field to rise to moment and meet the needs of the children and families in their communities. Surveys COVID-19 |
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Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 Surveys As the coronavirus continues to impact families and communities, the Afterschool Alliance has commissioned a series of surveys of parents and afterschool and summer program providers to monitor the state of the afterschool field and parents' needs as the country adapts to the challenging circumstances and stressors created by the pandemic. Find survey results, interactive dashboards, toplines, and more on this page. Surveys COVID-19 |
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What Summer Programming Looks Like for 2021 in the Time of COVID-19 - Wave 5 (Aug 2021) This summer, as most states lift COVID-19 restrictions and families ease back into public life, summer programs also report moving toward a return to normal, with a nearly 70 percent increase in programs opening their doors and serving students in-person in some capacity compared to the summer of 2020 and 8 in 10 providers reporting optimism about the future of their program. However, issues remain, with more than half of providers serving students in-person reporting a waitlist and operating at reduced capacity due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The Wave 5 provider survey of 937 program providers was conducted June 2-28, 2021, and represents more than 6,400 program sites. Surveys COVID-19 |
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An Ongoing Look at Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 – Wave 4 (March 2021) Roughly one year after the COVID-19 pandemic began, afterschool programs are continuing to help children, families, and their communities push through these difficult times. This dashboard includes findings from Wave 4 of the Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 survey series, conducted Feb. 19-March 15, 2021, as well as comparisons to previous survey waves. Surveys COVID-19 |
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The Afterschool Alliance is working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, yet the need for programs is far from being met. Learn more
