Directors of after-school programs around the nation fear the deepening recession will force more children to spend afternoons home alone or on the street as cash-strapped governments slash funding and donations shrink.
Several Boys & Girls Clubs in South Carolina announced plans to close Friday and many of the group’s 4,300 programs are trimming hours, consolidating locations and cutting field trips to get by, said Kirk Dominick, an executive vice president with Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
“We’d be crazy to not project a decrease next year. We’re trying to identify the most vulnerable clubs out there,” he said, adding he doesn’t have precise numbers yet. “Some organizations have been struggling for a while.”
After-school programs of all kinds are hurting nationwide, especially in rural areas, at a time when parents need affordable care more than ever, said Jodi Grant, executive director of Washington-based Afterschool Alliance, which is pushing for federal support.
“Parents are struggling to keep their jobs. They’re taking on second and third jobs. They need a place after school that’s a safe place to go,” Grant said. “What I find most troubling is, programs are doing everything they can, cutting to the bone.”
