Afterschool Research: Parents and Families
Encouraging parent engagement, supporting working families
Parents and families are vital in a child’s life. Afterschool programs are supporting parent involvement, while also giving working parents peace of mind about their child.
Parent and family engagement is a key factor in student success. Research shows that children do better in school, improve their attitudes and behaviors, and are less likely to drop out of school when parents are involved in their education. This section highlights the value afterschool programs place on parent engagement and includes examples of how programs are working to strengthen relationships with families and increase parent involvement.
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Uncertain Times for Afterschool Programs: Concerns Over Sustainability, Students' Well-Being, and Federal Actions Top of Mind (April 2026) Rising concerns about funding, program sustainability, and young people’s well-being are the key themes that are highlighted in this brief, based on a survey of 1,005 afterschool program providers representing more than 6,500 programs, conducted October 27 through December 22, 2025. Additionally, the brief finds that providers who were impacted by federal government actions, such as the fall 2025 government shutdown or the withholding of education funding during the 2025 summer, are more likely to be concerned about sustainability and their students' well-being. This is the 12th wave in the survey series tracking the afterschool field. Surveys |
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Afterschool: A Bipartisan Solution to Help Young People Thrive (October 2022) At a time of deep partisan divides, Afterschool Alliance surveys of parents of school-age children before and during the pandemic have found an area of consensus around support for afterschool and summer learning programs. Across the political spectrum, parents identifying as Democratic, Independent, and Republican strongly agree that afterschool and summer learning programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring learning, and providing peace of mind to working parents, with overwhelming majorities in favor of public funding for such programs. Parents and Families Surveys COVID-19 |
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The Afterschool Alliance is working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, yet the need for programs is far from being met. Learn more
