Support funding for afterschool programs

Young people in Illinois and across the country face greater barriers to success than ever before. Employment rates among teens have dropped significantly over the last 10 years. One in four Illinois high school students does not graduate in four years and more than one in 10 Illinois youth ages 16-24 are neither in school nor working.

Unfortunately, in Illinois, one of the most important supports that youth need - afterschool programs - are not meeting the demand. Statewide, the demand for quality afterschool programs far outpaces the supply, with shortfall estimates between 60 and 70 percent.

A new bill, now in front of the state legislature, sets the stage for ensuring universal access to afterschool programs for every young person in Illinois who wants to participate at little or no cost to the taxpayer.

The Afterschool Youth Development Project Act, SB 3543 and HB 1826, developed by ACT Now, a coalition of afterschool providers and advocates, will, for the first time, support access to afterschool programs as state policy. We see this act as a necessary next step, as it sets up a way to ensure that improvements to access are implemented efficiently, that program quality standards are in place, and that results are evaluated, as is currently the case in Boys & Girls Club of Elgin and YWCA programs and in Boys & Girls Club programs throughout the state.

We believe that this effort will enhance and build upon existing afterschool funding, so critical to youth in Elgin and throughout Illinois. Costs for this effort will be minimal, as supporters are working to raise private funds for this early work. The long-term benefits to expanding and enhancing afterschool programming, however, are a great investment in the future of our state.

A decade ago, the General Assembly recognized the importance of pre-K and early childhood education and acted to bring rigor to the design and delivery of these programs. We now know that success in later life also depends on access to quality afterschool programs.

Rose Reinert

Executive Director

Boys & Girls Club of Elgin

Julia A. McClendon, CEO

YWCA Elgin