Four in five North Carolina parents who want after school programs for their children are unable to enroll them, in many cases because programs are too expensive, unavailable, or inaccessible.
That’s according to a household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance.
In North Carolina, the parents of nearly 900,000 children want after school programs, but under 200,000 children are enrolled. Elizabeth Anderson, Director of the North Carolina Center for After school Programs, said when more than 600,000 children in the state whose parents want them to be in after school programs cannot access them, it’s clear there is significant work to do.
The study found that 5 in 6 North Carolina parents favor public funding for after school opportunities, and a large majority say the programs keep kids safe, build their social skills and responsible decision making, and help parents keep their jobs and boost their productivity at work.
It also shows 89% of parents favor public funding for programs that provide after school opportunities to students in communities that have few opportunities for children and youth.
