WASHINGTON, DC - Voters want the new Congress and their newly elected state and local officials to increase funding for afterschool programs, according to a public opinion survey conducted on election eve and election day. 

Developed by Lake, Snell, Perry & Associates, Inc. for the Afterschool Alliance, the poll found that 72 percent of voters agree that “our newly elected public officials in Congress should increase funding for afterschool programs,” and just 24 percent disagree. 

When asked if they'd support “increase[d] funding for afterschool programs even if it leads to a tax increase,” 69 percent of voters said they want funding to increase. 

Seventy-three percent want their newly elected state and local officials to provide more funds for afterschool programs.

Grayson County gets no federal funds for its afterschool programs, currently consisting of private day care paid for by parents and extended school services that are funded by the state.

Last year, there were 2,115 students who took part in some form of extended school services. School administrators say they apply for grants to offer more extra help and care, but the grants are hard to win.

Local Head Start (Breckinridge-Grayson Programs) classes, for children age 3 to 5, is funded by federal money, but most communities do not have a local head start program that benefits mostly low-income families.

“Voters know that afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant.  “They voted for change last week, and now they want the officials they elected to invest in the future by making quality afterschool programs available to all children and families.” 

Despite an agreement embodied in the No Child Left Behind Act for steady increases in afterschool funding, federal support has been slowly eroding for five years.  As a result, many states were unable to make new grants to afterschool programs last year.

 Other findings from the new survey: