Engaging School-Age Children in Enrichment and Learning

The Y is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of afterschool and summer programs. Each year, Ys serve 580,000 children in 5,400 afterschool programs and nearly one million children during the summer in 1,800 day camps and 300 resident camps. Before school, afterschool and summer programs present opportunities to address achievement gaps and boost in-school success, help develop employability skills for 21st century jobs and prepare kids for college and career, as well as enable exploration to help kids find their spark. These programs also support working families by providing them with safe, supervised programs and activities, giving parents peace of mind while they are at work.

Each dollar invested in afterschool programs saves up to $9 by increasing young people’s learning potential, improving student performance in school and reducing crime and welfare costs. Out-of-school time programs at the Y–many supported by 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding–enhance what kids learn during the school day and create new experiences that give them opportunities to explore STEM careers, participate in service learning projects and develop decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills, and so much more.

• Support afterschool and summer learning programs by increasing funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC). The 21st CCLC program funds engaging academic enrichment opportunities before school, after school and during the summer that inspire kids to learn, make better decisions and give parents peace of mind. Research shows that quality programs give students the academic, social and career-ready skills they need to succeed and can lead to improvements in attendance, class participation, class behavior and homework completion and can narrow the achievement gap. Current funding levels enable 1.7 million children to participate in safe and supervised programs, yet 19 million children are left to care for themselves after the school day ends and during the summer. One in five YMCA afterschool programs receive 21st CCLC funding, in partnership with schools.

• Support affordable child care for working families by increasing funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). CCDBG supports economically disadvantaged families by increasing the availability, affordability and quality of child care. Nearly half (45%) of CCDBG funding enables families with children under the age of 13 to secure afterschool opportunities, providing parents the comfort of knowing their children are in safe, healthy environments while they work or pursue education and training opportunities. Recent increases in CCDBG funding are working to improve families’ access to affordable, quality care and to support states and providers in implementing the new federal requirements that resulted from the 2015 reauthorization of this law.

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