Afterschool Alliance Research

Then and Now: A Retrospective on the Afterschool in the Time of Covid-19 Survey Series - Waves 1-9 (July 2023)

Over the course of the past three years, the U.S. has gone through a tumultuous time, from statewide stay-at-home orders in March 2020 to the recent end of the national and public health emergency declarations. We are grateful to the afterschool community for being generous with their time and responding to our series of surveys in the midst of this challenging time. This dashboard provides an overview of the afterschool field’s changing landscape as it responded to the immediate needs of the children and families they served.

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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.

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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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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.

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Where Did All the Afterschool Staff Go? – Wave 6 (January 2022)

Finding staff to hire or staffing shortages, and maintaining staff levels through health concerns and safety protocols are the top two concerns among afterschool providers based on the Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 Wave 6 survey, conducted by Edge Research between Nov. 1 and Dec. 13, 2021. While staffing challenges are not a new issue for the afterschool field, this survey of 1,048 afterschool program providers confirms that now, more than ever, staffing is impacting the ability of providers to meet the needs of the children and families they serve.

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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.

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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.

• Wave 5 Toplines
• Wave 5 Dashbaord
• Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 survey page

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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.

• Wave 4 Toplines
• Wave 4 Dashbaord
• Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19 survey page

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