Report: California Leads the Nation in After-School Investment

SAN FRANCISCO, March 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California leads the nation in its commitment to after-school programs. According to a new report by a statewide anti-crime organization, state- and federally-funded after-school programs provide safe and enriching activities for more than 400,000 California students. Yet many more low-income children are left unsupervised because there are still not enough programs to meet demand.

California's After-School Commitment: Keeping Kids On Track and Out of Trouble, by FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS California, shows that California invests over three times more in after-school programs than the remaining 49 states combined.

Research shows that after-school programs can help shut down the "prime time" for juvenile crime, which is 2-6 p.m. in California. After-school programs offer constructive alternatives to gangs, drugs and crime. They also provide academic assistance and can keep students engaged and excited about going to school, and increase school-day attendance, academic achievement and graduation rates.  

"I'm proud to see California setting a great example for the rest of the nation," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. "The success of its after-school commitment should encourage the state to protect funding for programs that can help prevent crime and boost students' academic achievement."

The majority of funding for California's after-school programs came from a 2002 voter-approved measure. Proposition 49 – the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Act – provides $550 million each year to programs aimed at students from low-income families.

"After-school programs are essential for children everywhere. Not only do they keep kids away from gangs, drugs and violence, they boost confidence and self-esteem," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "And that is exactly why I have fought so hard for them here in California."   

Unfortunately, California still falls short of meeting the after-school needs of students and families. Nearly 2,000 schools in low-income neighborhoods are still without state or federal after-school programs. Additionally, more than half of existing state programs surveyed have waiting lists, resulting in thousands of kids being left out of programs.

The law enforcement leaders and crime survivors of FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS California call on policymakers to prevent crime by protecting access to quality after-school programs.

For More Information

http://www.fightcrime.org/state/california/news/california-leads-nation-after-school-investment

The report includes county-specific data.

FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS California is a bipartisan, non-profit, anti-crime organization led by 400 sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys, and victims of violence. Its mission is to take a critical look at the research about what really works to keep kids from becoming criminals.

SOURCE FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS California