WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five in six Texas parents who want afterschool programs for their children are unable to enroll them, in many cases because programs are too expensive, unavailable, or inaccessible, according to a household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance America After 3PM finds that 76% of Texas parents with a child in an afterschool program rate it as excellent or very good, and there is overwhelming support among Texas parents for public funding for these programs.
Overall in Texas, the parents of 3,311,529 children want afterschool programs but just 581,120 children are enrolled, the new study finds.
Approximately 9 in 10 Texas parents favor public funding for afterschool opportunities. Large majorities of parents in the state say these programs keep kids safe, build their social skills and responsible decision making, and help parents keep their jobs and boost their productivity at work Conducted by Edge Research, the fifth edition of America After 3PM is based on a survey of 30,515 U.S. parents of school-age children who live in their households, including in-depth interviews with 2,123 in Texas. The study examines 20 years of data and is the first afterschool household survey conducted post-pandemic.
