December 2009

Copyright
© 2009
Queue, Inc.

<< Delaware Education News Back Issues

Queue Resource Collection   Access and Print Materials from an Entire Library of Workbooks for ONE LOW ANNUAL FEE!

Delaware Losing Ground in Making Afterschool Programs Available; Fewer Kids in Afterschool; Unmet Demand High

Afterschool Alliance Survey of Delaware Households Finds No Progress Since 2004, Vast Unmet Demand & More Children Unsupervised

 A new survey finds no progress in participation in afterschool programs by Delaware youth over the last five years, even as the nation made progress and demand for afterschool programs in Delaware remained high. The rate of participation in afterschool dropped to 14 percent in 2009, trailing the national average of 15 percent – and a significant percentage of the state’s children are still unsupervised each afternoon after the school day ends.

The data come from the landmark America After 3PM study, conducted for the Afterschool Alliance:

After School Care Arrangements

• 31% (45,011) of Delaware’s K-12 children are responsible for taking care of themselves after school. These children spend an average of 9 hours per week unsupervised after school.

• 14% (19,701) of Delaware’s K-12 children participate in afterschool programs. On average, afterschool participants spend 9 hours per week in afterschool programs. Participation averages 3 days per week.

• 69% of Delaware K-12 children spend some portion of the hours after school in the care of a parent or guardian.

• Other care arrangements include traditional child care centers (11%), sibling care (10%) and non-parental adult care, such as a grandparent or neighbor (36%).

Notes: The maximum amount of time in after school care arrangements is limited to 15 hours per week, which reflects the after school hours of 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Care arrangements add up to greater than 100% due to multiple regular care arrangements for many children.

Satisfaction with and Support for Afterschool Programs

• 83% of Delaware parents are satisfied with the afterschool program their child attends.

• Delaware parents cited affordability (79%), convenient location (61%) and quality of facilities (60%) as their top three reasons for selecting an afterschool program.

• 86% of adults surveyed in Delaware agree that there should be “some type of organized activity or place for children and teens to go after school every day that provides opportunities to learn” and 87% support public funding for afterschool programs.

Need or Demand for Afterschool

• 31% (38,472) of all Delaware children not in afterschool would be likely to participate if an afterschool program were available in the community, regardless of their current care arrangement.

• Parents of non-participants believe that their children would benefit most from afterschool programs in the following ways: by having fun, improving their workforce skills, taking advantage of opportunities for community service and learning, improving their physical activity and overall health and improving their social skills.

Barriers to Enrolling in Afterschool Programs

• After lack of need, the predominant obstacles to enrollment include cost, preference for alternative activities and concerns about program quality.

Contextual Information about Afterschool Programs

• In Delaware, the private schools are the largest provider of afterschool programs. Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and public schools round out the top four providers of afterschool programs in the state.

• On average, Delaware families spend $88 per week for afterschool programs.

In Delaware, 286 households were surveyed for this study. Among those households, 35 percent qualified for free or reduced price lunch, 4 percent were Hispanic and 22 percent were African-American.

According to U.S. Department of Education data from 2005-2006, the total school enrollment in Delaware is 143,804.

 “This new study is sobering for Delaware, which is losing ground in making afterschool programs available to children,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “The data tell us that the great majority of Delaware parents who want their kids in afterschool programs aren’t able to find them, usually because programs aren’t available, they can’t afford the fees, or transportation issues make it impossible. But this is a solvable problem. These are all barriers we can and should overcome. Quality afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and help working families. Every Delaware family that needs an afterschool program should have access to one.”

 “This research confirms what we see every day, that afterschool programs are reaching only a fraction of the children and families that need them – and the recession is making matters worse,” said Carol Scott, Extension Director, University of Delaware, 4-H Afterschool. “Afterschool programs make such a difference in children’s lives and futures. We simply must find a way to significantly expand the availability of afterschool programs.”

The Delaware results can be compared to the new America After 3PM national findings:

 • The number and percentage of children participating in afterschool programs in the nation has increased significantly in the last five years, with 8.4 million children (15 percent) now participating. That compares with 6.5 million children in 2004 (11 percent).
• But the number of children left alone after the school day ends also has risen, to 15.1 million children (26 percent of school-age children) in 2009. That is an increase of 800,000 children since 2004. Thirty percent of middle schoolers (3.7 million kids) are on their own, as are four percent of elementary school children (1.1 million children).
• The parents of 18.5 million children (38 percent) not currently participating in an afterschool program would enroll their children in a program if one were available to them, a significant increase from the 15.3 million (30 percent) seen in 2004.
• The vast majority of parents of children in afterschool programs are satisfied with the programs their children attend, and overall public support for afterschool programs is similarly strong. Nine in 10 parents (89 percent) are satisfied with the afterschool programs their children attend. Eight in 10 parents support public funding for afterschool programs.

$21.8 Billion Distributed to Promote Educational Improvement – DE Gets $68 Million

More than $21.8 billion in formula grants to support state-administered programs that support teachers and help students reach high standards.

Formula grant programs are noncompetitive awards based on a predetermined formula and provide funding for a variety of programs, including resources to improve teacher quality, career and technical education, and support for children facing the challenges of living in poverty. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grant program supports children and students with disabilities from ages 3 to 21.

The grants are being distributed through the following programs:

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to help students living in poverty.  $10.8 billion.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B for America's six million students with disabilities. $8.6 billion.

Improving Teacher Quality State Grants. $1.6 billion. And, Career and Technical Education.  $773.6 million.

These so-called formula grant programs dispense funds to states on July 1 and Oct. 1 based on congressionally mandated formulas that, depending on the program, take into account such measures as population, poverty rates and enrollment. Formula grants originate from the Education Department's annual appropriation from Congress and are separate from the $100 billion in stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

More information about the department's budget can be found >here.

DELAWARE’S SHARE— Title I: $31.51 million; IDEA-B: $25.46 million; Teacher Quality: $7.92 million; Career-Tech: $3.25 million; TOTAL: $68.14 million.