During the 2004-2005 school year , there were no daily afterschool programs for 84% of Montana’s elementary-aged children from working families.
Afterschool Programs Keep Kids Safe
The chances a child will become a victim of a violent crime more than triple between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 1999)
Children are most likely to engage in high risk behaviors such as drug use, sexual activity and crime during the afterschool hours of 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (National Center for Juvenile Justice, 1999)
Without
afterschool programs, children are more susceptible
to personal injury, juvenile
delinquency, academic underachievement
and high school-drop out, teen pregnancy
and substance abuse.
After School Programs Help Working Families
72% of Montana’s elementary school students live in working parent households. (KIDS COUNT, 2003)
60% of parents say they missed less work when their child was in an afterschool program. (Policy Studies Associates, 2001)
Afterschool Programs Inspire Learning
Participation in afterschool programs is positively associated with better school attendance, improved grades and a reduced dropout rate. (Harvard Family Research Project, 2003)
Afterschool programs can serve as an entry point for children to develop 21st century skills and expand their exposure and ability to navigate new forms of technology. (Hall, G. & Israel, L., 2001)
Afterschool Programs Promote Community Involvement
More than 80% of parents said their child would benefit from an afterschool program that offered community service or volunteering. (Afterschool Alliance, 2004)
95% of teens said it is important to be involved in the community through volunteering time to community efforts. (Afterschool Alliance 2004)
Afterschool Programs Meet Children’s Social & Emotional Needs
Afterschool programs improve children’s social skills, including the ability to maintain self-control, make constructive choices about their behavior and avoid fights. (The Afterschool Corporation, 2004)
When children are happy with their afterschool programs, they describe them as a family. Children develop a trusting relationship with the program staff members and feel they care about them. (McLaughlin, 2000)
