Newly released America After 3PM data shows that access to summer programs across the nation is imbalanced. Affordability is a major concern for parents without access to afterschool and summer programs.

In Virginia, the demand for summer programs is incredibly high. Parents value the benefits summer programs provide for young people - keeping them safe, helping build life skills, and getting them excited about learning - and say summer programs help them keep their jobs and provide peace of mind. Still, just a fraction of Virginia families who want summer programs actually have them.

"The Summer Struggle for Virginia Families is a sobering reminder that too many working families scramble to find summer programs for their children," said Blaire Denson, Executive Director of the Virginia Partnership for Out-of-School Time. "It shouldn't be this difficult for families to access summer programs that will help their children engage, be active, and learn over the summer. We will work with local and state lawmakers and all our community partners to tackle this problem. Every Virginia family deserves summer options they can afford."