Student participation that exceeds the national average and overwhelming parent satisfaction with afterschool programs make California a “Top 10 State for Afterschool,” again, according to a household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance and released December 8, 2020. California is one of the few states that has consistently made it in the top 10 states for afterschool since evaluating and ranking states’ began.

Nevertheless, unmet demand for programs – the percentage of California parents who say they would enroll their child in an afterschool program if one were available to them – is high, especially among low-income families, who report cost as a significant barrier. Despite being in the Top 10, for every child in an afterschool program in California today, three more are waiting to get in.

To learn more access the full press release and CA Fact Sheet!

Since 2004, America After 3PM has provided an essential view into the state and circumstances of children and young people in the after-school hours. This year’s study, America After 3PM 2020, includes responses from 30,000 U.S. families and builds upon the surveys conducted in 2004, 2009, and 2014.

The data has significant implications as the nation considers how to meet the needs of families and students today and in a post-pandemic world, and paints a stark picture of grave inequities in terms of which families can access and afford afterschool programs.