Issue Briefs

A Mix of Highs and Lows for Afterschool Program Providers (March 2025)

This brief includes findings from a survey of 1,223 afterschool program providers conducted between October 29 and December 10, 2024. Based on survey results, afterschool program providers report areas of growth — serving as many or more students as they served before the pandemic and providing a wide range of supports for students and families. Still, many are grappling with challenges such as funding and staffing. This is the 11th survey wave in an ongoing tracking survey of the afterschool field.

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21st CCLC Facts and Figures (March 2025)

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. This brief provides an updated overview of 21st CCLC programs, which serves more than 1.8 million students and families, highlighting the research demonstrating programs accelerate students' academic growth and success, activities and supports provided by programs, and the current state of funding for the initiative.

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How Afterschool Programs are Building School-Day Engagement and Improving Attendance (January 2025)

Chronic absenteeism is a widespread challenge impacting nearly every school district nationwide. However, it is not an issue that schools should tackle alone. This issue brief highlights the unique roles afterschool programs play in improving school-day attendance and strengthening students’ connection to school. By engaging students in hands-on learning experiences that can ignite new interests, connecting students with caring adults and mentors, and creating a space where student agency, voice, and choice are valued and encouraged, afterschool programs are a proven source of support in helping to solve the complex problem that is chronic absenteeism.

• Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC) and Reality Changers: Creating a culture of care by connecting students to supportive adults and mentors
• Jamestown Community Center and R.E.A.C.H. After School Program: Inspiring learning by engaging youth in hands-on activities
• Critical Exposure: Deepening students' school connectedness by amplifying youth voice

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The Latest Research on the Impact of Afterschool and Summer Programs (September 2024)

This brief includes findings from more than three dozen studies and reports highlighting outcomes associated with young people's participation in afterschool and summer programs, including increased engagement in school, reduced chronic absenteeism, improved academic performance, and a positive impact on students' mental well-being.

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Recent Evaluations of 21st Century Community Learning Centers Illustrate Wide Range of Benefits (July 2023)

This brief highlights a cross section of recently conducted statewide evaluations on 21st CCLC programs to illustrate the impacts of this initiative, which is accelerating academic growth, improving students' engagement in school and behavior in class, fostering well-being, and helping students thrive both in school and out.

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Parents and Voters Support Afterschool and Summer for All (February 2023)

In a second brief highlighting results from an online poll of registered voters, conducted by Lake Research Partners November 9-14, 2022, this document includes both voter and parent opinions on afterschool and summer programs. It finds strong support for afterschool and summer programs, as well as high levels of agreement that programs are a valuable partner for schools.

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Voters Agree: Afterschool Programs are a Priority (January 2023) 

A new poll of voters, conducted November 9-14, 2022, finds united support for afterschool programs. This brief highlights voter trend data regarding attitudes toward afterschool programs and illustrates the strong approval rating afterschool programs have from voters across political affiliations, races, ethnicities, and ages.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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