WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Satisfaction with afterschool programs has reached a new high among Latinx parents, but limited access, unmanageable costs, and other barriers are preventing many Hispanic students from participating. A new household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance and conducted by Edge Research finds that, for every Hispanic child in an afterschool program today, three more are waiting to get in.

America After 3PM finds that the families of 24.6 million children in the United States — more than ever before — are unable to access an afterschool program and many report that cost is a barrier. America After 3PM exposes significant inequities, with the parents of 55% of Latinx, 58% of Black, and 46% of white children not currently in an afterschool program saying they would enroll their child if they could.

The new study finds that, due to barriers including access, cost, and transportation, the number of Latinx children in afterschool programs has declined from 3.8 million in 2014 to less than 2.3 million today. The decline means more Hispanic students are without the critical supports that can help them succeed. It also signals that, while publicly funded afterschool programs have helped millions of students, public dollars are not nearly sufficient to keep up with demand today.

The study is based on responses from more than 30,000 U.S. families, including 4,393 Hispanic respondents. Building on household surveys conducted in 2004, 2009 and 2014, it offers a pre-pandemic snapshot of how children and youth spend their afternoons and has significant implications for our post-pandemic world. It also includes a separate survey of parents conducted this fall; in it, more than three in five Latinx parents (61%) report stress about providing learning support while their child’s school is operating virtually – a significantly higher percentage than parents overall (54%).

“In this survey, Latinx parents report that afterschool programs are doing stellar work in helping meet many of their children’s academic, social/emotional and other needs. But investments in afterschool have not kept up with demand, and that puts millions of children and youth at risk. The pandemic, which is taking an especially high toll on communities of color, is exacerbating the harm,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “Quality afterschool programs are essential to student success in school and life. If we want to emerge from this pandemic strong, we need to provide all our children and youth access to the enrichment opportunities and resources afterschool programs provide. We’re not doing that now, and Latinx families are among those who are struggling even more as a result.”

Read more about the findings here: http://afterschoolalliance.org/press_archives/AA3PM-2020/Latinx-Communities-AA3PM-2020-NR.pdf.

SOURCE Afterschool Alliance