TASC/PASE Survey Finds After-School Cutbacks

The After-School Corporation (TASC) and the Partnership for After School Education (PASE) jointly conducted a survey to gauge the state of after-school in New York City. Chief executives of more than 100 nonprofit agencies that offer comprehensive after-school programs completed the survey between August 15 and September 9, 2009. The results were analyzed by a panel of experts in after-school and human services. Survey respondents represented the field, spanning a range of small and larger organizations with diverse funding streams.

Among the survey findings are these:

• The vast majority of New York City's after-school provider organizations (93% of survey respondents) rely on public funds to serve youth. Less than one-third of respondents charge fees.
• More than half (56 %) of after-school organizations have sustained budget cuts this year. Experts noted that after-school agencies have dipped into reserves and rainy-day funds and in some cases lost lines of credit, resulting in programs being less financially stable than before and less able to handle future cuts.
• Overall, 40% of organizations will serve fewer youth and their families this year, widening an existing gap between need and available services. One survey respondent, whose agency has reduced by more than half the number of kids it serves, commented, "This will have an enormous impact on working parents that rely on our after-school programs to keep their children safe during after-school hours."
• Service cuts will have great impact on low income and working families. Some organizations, particularly those that lost public funding, have redirected services to more affluent communities and families who can afford to pay program fees. This exacerbates the need for after-school in low income communities.
• More than one in four (27%) of organizations closed a program.
• Nearly half of after-school organizations are cutting jobs. Survey respondents report a wide variety of job cuts. These include group workers and activity specialists (including experts in the arts, science and other content-specific area), as well as program administrators and data, research and human resources staff.