After School Care for Children
Challenges for California, May 2001

After School Care for Children - 2001
This 11-page study looks at California children's lack of access to quality after school care.
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Introduction
High-quality after school programs offer tremendous benefits to children, working parents and employers. With about half of all California children ages five to fourteen having both parents or a single parent working at least 30 hours per week, the need for adult-supervised environments in the after school hours is significant. Furthermore, young people in after school programs can take advantage of educational and other enriching activities; many programs have a proven impact on children's academic achievement and socialization skills.

Based on currently available data, the scope of demand for after school care in California far exceeds the supply. Subsidized after school care is available to about 600,000 children ages 5 to 14, compared to an estimated 1.2 million children in need.

This policy brief provides an overview of after school issues in California. This first brief is part of a series that will examine key issues about after school care in California.