Afterschool turns the peak time for crime into a time of opportunity for young people

For close to 20 years, we at the Afterschool Alliance have been dedicated to the cause of expanding afterschool opportunities because we know the life changing impact programs can have on children, on families, and on communities.  Today, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids released a new report that reinforces the vital role that afterschool programs play in turning the hours after school, and before parents return home from work, into a time of learning and growth for our young people. This new report, From Risk to Opportunity: Afterschool Programs Keep Kids Safe When Juvenile Crime Peaks, shows that the peak in juvenile crime on school days occurs between 2-6 p.m., provides powerful examples of afterschool programs making a positive difference in young people’s lives, and lifts up law enforcement voices who see the influence programs can have in their community.

The hours immediately after school lets out were first dubbed the “Prime Time for Juvenile Crime” in a report published by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids in 2000.  Since the time of that first report, participation in afterschool programs has grown by more than 60%, and juvenile crime has decreased by 70%. 

Afterschool programs are not only keeping our kids safe and giving parents peace of mind, but they are inspiring young people. In the report, there are several powerful examples of afterschool programs ensuring that young people are surrounded by supportive adults, have a place where they feel safe and belong, and have the supports to build foundational skills—like the ability to work in teams and problem solve.

Unfortunately, funding for afterschool is not keeping pace with demand and not all young people have the support of afterschool programs that can help them turn a time of risk into a time of opportunity. Today, 10.2 million young people are in afterschool programs; however, for every one child in a program there are two more who would be enrolled if a program were available to them. Our country needs greater investment in afterschool, not only at the federal level, but at the state and local levels as well. We have seen participation in afterschool grow, but there are still far too many young people who are missing out on the enrichment, support, and benefits that programs provide.   

We hope this new report and the accompanying website, which includes state-level data for 46 states and examples of afterschool programs in all 50 states, will help more stakeholders recognize the value of afterschool and more young people access quality afterschool opportunities in the future.