Texas After 3PM

The America After 3PM 2020 Report is the nation’s most comprehensive look at how children spend their time during the hours after school and in the summer. Conducted roughly every five years, the 2020 report is the fourth edition of the survey. The study was conducted by the Afterschool Alliance with Edge Research and includes more than 30,000 respondents.

For years, afterschool programs have kept kids safe, provided expanded learning opportunities, and helped working families. America After 3PM found that unmet demand has skyrocketed. For every child in an afterschool program, 3 are waiting to get in. In 2020, more families struggle to find and afford programs, and inequities are prominent. With cost and access leading the list of obstacles to participation, for the first time in more than a decade, the number of children in an afterschool program decreased.

For families, summer programs provide a safe and engaging space for their children to foster friendships and connections, develop life skills, be active, and explore different subjects through intellectually engaging projects. However, the America After 3PM special summer report, Time for a Game-Changing Summer, With Opportunity and Growth for All of America’s Youth, finds that access to summer learning is also still inaccessible for many families. Unmet demand for summer programs is high—for every child in a summer program, there’s another child waiting to get in.

Explore additional America After 3PM national findings and data on afterschool and summer programs.

The America After 3PM respondents included 1,373 households and 5,134 children in Texas. In Texas, demand for afterschool programs has increased, while participation has declined. This is in line with the national trend and can be attributed to high barriers to access such as cost and transportation. Findings show those barriers are higher for families in under-resourced communities, widening inequities. Key data points include:

• More than 2.5 million children would enroll in an afterschool program, if one were available.
• For the first time in more than a decade, the number of kids in programs decreased.
• For every one child in a program, there are 3 more who would enroll in an afterschool program if one were available to them.
• Cost and transportation are the top barriers to participation, and these barriers are higher for low-income families.

Explore additional America After 3PM Texas findings and data on afterschool and summer programs.

In Texas, as of 2019, participation in summer programs has increased, but so has unmet demand. This is in line with the national trend and can be attributed to high barriers to access, primarily cost. Key data points include:

• Participation in summer experiences is higher than ever recorded, growing from 28% in 2013 to 48% in 2019.
• Despite this growth, too many kids, particularly those from families with low incomes, are still missing out on summer programs. For every child in a summer program in Texas, there is another waiting to enroll in a program if one were available to them. High cost of programs tops the list of barriers for families who were not able to enroll their children in a summer program.
• Programs stand ready to help kids re-engage, re-charge, and rebound in summer 2021, but face challenges. In a February/March 2021 survey of program providers, 82% reported being concerned about their program’s long-term funding and future due to COVID-19.