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Afterschool in Ohio

Here’s what we know about afterschool programs in Ohio: they work, and there aren’t enough of them.

Thirty percent of those children have no adult supervision afterschool, but only 6% are able to benefit from afterschool programs. However, approximately 24% of Ohio school-age children would be enrolled in afterschool programs if they were affordable and conveniently located.

Not only do parents want better afterschool options, but numerous research studies show that afterschool programs benefit the entire community by helping reduce the rate at which young people commit or are victims of crime in the dangerous after-school hours of 3-6 pm; improving school attendance; and making it possible for parents to work without being distracted by concern for their children’s safety.

We also know that kids who attend high-quality afterschool programs frequently over time succeed during the school day as well. A recent Kent State University evaluation of Perkins Activities Central, an afterschool program funded by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation at a city middle school in Akron, showed that more than 60% of seventh graders who attended the program frequently passed the Ohio Achievement Test (OAT) in reading, compared to only 45% of those who didn’t attend the afterschool program. Among eighth graders, the difference was even more dramatic: more than 64% of frequent attenders passed the eighth grade reading OAT, compared to 45% of non-PAC students.

Clearly, when we invest in afterschool programs, we invest in the success of our young people. Ohio Senate leaders understand this: earlier this week, the Ohio Senate introduced a substitute budget bill that included, among other provisions, $2.8 million over two years for the Ohio Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs and $20 million over two years for summer and afterschool programs.

As the budget bill makes its way through the conference process and toward a final vote by the end of June, please let your legislators know that high-quality, convenient afterschool programs are important to you and the families you serve. Voices for Ohio’s Children works as the advocacy partner of the Ohio Afterschool Network; to learn more about the policy and funding we need to provide afterschool programs for all Ohio youth who need them, please visit www.ohioafterschoolnetwork.org.

Amy Swanson
330-472-4350
aswanson@vfc-oh.org