Rural families, especially minorities and poor, are less likely to have access to after-school or summer learning programs

Percentage of rural children likely to participate in
after-school programs, by various demographic factors
(Afterschool Alliance chart; click on it to download or enlarge)

The demand for after-school and summer learning programs far outstrips their availability in rural America, according to a new report from the Afterschool Alliance. Such programs can provide a safe space for children, allowing parents better access to work (lack of access to child care is a major reason parents stop working or reduce work hours). Here are some of the report's top findings:

• 11% of rural children participate in an after-school program; for every child in such a program, an average of four more children are waiting to get in.
• 4.5 million rural children are not in an after-school program but would be if one were available—a 43% increase from 2014.
• 2.9 million rural children would have been enrolled in a summer program in 2019 if one had been available.
• For every rural child in a summer program in 2019, two more were waiting to get in.
• Unmet demand for after-school programs reached 47% in 2020, up from 39% in 2014 and 2009.
• 54% of rural families in 2019 said they wanted their child in a summer program but were unable to access one. That's up from 39% of rural families in 2008.
• In rural areas, people of color and low-income families have the highest levels of unmet demand for after-school and summer programs.
• Rural families, especially people of color and those with low incomes, face increasing barriers to access for such programs, such as cost of the program, lack of a safe way to get to and from the program, and more.