NY After-School Programs Suffering from Recession

According to a survey of after-school programs in New York State conducted by the Afterschool Alliance, six in ten New York programs have lost funding due to the recession. In response to funding woes, programs are being forced to add or increase fees and reduce the number of children they serve. Forty-two percent of programs say they would have to at least double their capacity to serve all the kids in their community who need after-school.

"This country is still operating under the misconception that after-school programs are not essential. But for parents who can't leave work at 3 PM, and who are spending all their income on food and shelter, after-school is absolutely essential," Lucy N. Friedman, president of The After-School Corporation, said. "These programs are the only thing standing between thousands of New York kids and the street."

In New York, 132 after-school leaders responded to the web-based survey, conducted by the Afterschool Alliance in April and May.

• View a summary of findings from the national survey at the Afterschool Alliance Web site 
• Download the Afterschool Alliance press release