Lack of after-school care sends 687K Michigan parents scrambling

Five out of six Michigan parents are unable to enroll their children in after-school programs in spite of state investment
The programs are either too costly, full or too far away
After-school programs keep young people safe and support their academic and social life while reducing absenteeism, experts say

Among the most stressful hours for scores of working parents are between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., when school lets out but the traditional workday has not ended.

Just ask Marcia Alger, an administrative assistant and single mother of four living in White Cloud, a community on the west side of Michigan.

Alger had planned to enroll her three sons in an after-school program after football season ended this fall so they could have a place to do their homework, get a snack and be safe until she got off work at 6 p.m. But the program, the only one where they live, was full.

Alger regards herself as lucky since she has a 17-year-old daughter to watch her younger sons after school. At the same time, she said it’s not an ideal situation since her daughter often has things to do after school.

“It creates a lot of uncertainty and stress around our daily routines,” Alger said. “Without reliable after-school care, it’s difficult to balance my work, schedule and my family responsibilities.”

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Unmet demand for after-school care is vast and widespread in Michigan, a new report shows. This is in spite of more than $200 million in state grants offered to organizations since 2021 for before-school, after-school and summer programming.

Across the state, 5 out of 6 parents are unable to enroll their children in after-school programs because they are either too expensive, unavailable or inaccessible, according to the Michigan edition of Afterschool Alliance’s America After 3PM report. That means the parents of 828,578 Michigan children want after-school programs but only 150,508 children are enrolled, leaving 678,070 parents going without.

Michigan is not alone. Across the nation, the parents of 29.6 million children want after-school programs for them, but 77% are shut out of programs that keep kids safe, excite them about learning, reduce absenteeism and reduce stress on parents, the report says. Demand is highest in urban areas. Most affected are parents with low and middle incomes.

“In Michigan and across the country, after-school programs are giving students a safe place to go after the school day ends, boosting their academic achievement, helping address the youth mental health and chronic absenteeism crises, providing alternatives to screen time, giving working parents peace of mind, and much more,” said Jodi Grant, executive director of Washington, D.C.-based Afterschool Alliance. “Every child deserves access to a quality afterschool program but sadly, this study shows we’re far from reaching that goal.”

Local advocates are working to improve after school programs with 751,000 children on waiting lists and 371 kids to every program.

Michigan has budgeted funds since 2001, starting with $10 million and increasing to $75 million in this year’s budget in competitive grants to eligible organizations for before-school, after-school and summer programming for students in grades K-12.

“There are hundreds of programs that have been able to start and expand their operations to meet their local needs,” said Stephanie Van Koevering, spokesperson for the Michigan Afterschool Partnership.

“But the demand far outstrips the supply of funds that the Legislature has provided. There are not only parents and youth demanding access to these programs, but there are also would-be providers who are ready to get up and running as soon as they can.”