The Out of School Time (OST) field is filled with talent, promise and possibility. Employing over 600,000 staff through 52,000 programs across all 50 states, the afterschool world plays an essential role in the lives of the children, families and communities it serves. afterschool facts
Below are 5 afterschool facts that are important to our understanding of the current state of the field and the ways we can and must continue strengthening it.
FACT #1: 10.2 million students served
Why it Matters: With so many students served across the country, OST programs have great potential to impact the lives not only of those enrolled, but their families and communities as well. The field continues to grow in both size and impact and it needs to keep on growing because
FACT #2: 19.4 million students lack access
Why it Matters: Although we support millions of students, nearly double that amount are currently in need of afterschool programs but lack access. This disproportionately affects students who need support the most. Every child deserves the opportunity to participate in high-quality afterschool programs and we need to keep advocating to make that happen. But we can’t do that when
FACT #3: 2/3 of afterschool staff are part-time
Why it Matters: Part-time positions have inherently high rates of turnover. In a field where relationships are at the foundation of the work we do, cycling staff out ever year is damaging to the students, the programs and the results we set out to reach. Programs designed to employ mostly part-time staff will continue to have these high rates of turnover, as high as
FACT #4: 40% annual turnover
Why it Matters: High-quality staff with low turnover is a necessary component of high-quality OST programs. An annual turnover rate of 40% does not allow for the consistency and relationship-building that is required for our programs to support our students in the way they need and deserve. This is difficult to do when
FACT #5: 1% of funding goes toward supporting talent
Why it Matters: High-quality staff need ongoing training and support to continue growing and to stick around. To get and retain that high-quality staff, we need to be more intentional and committed to investing in that training and support.
*Sources: Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey, NAA, Afterschool Alliance
2 Responses
You made a good point that accessibility is one of the things to think about when planning to find an afterschool enrichment program. I’d like to find a good one soon because I think my son is in danger of getting along with some shady people in my our local area. If he spends his afterschool time in a safe environment, I will feel a lot better.
Yes. IEP and special accommodations do not legally transfer to afterschool environments just yet but I wonder if that isn’t coming soon…