The report was unveiled at noontime on October 15, and an expert panel including VPOST Board Member and Mayor of Harrisonburg Deanna Reed discussed the important findings which included:

Demand for afterschool programs is enormous.

A whopping 22.6 million children whose parents would enroll them if a program were available.

Afterschool's benefits for kids - safety, skills, and school engagement - plus peace of mind for working parents.

Parent satisfaction has reached 95%, the highest level ever, as parents cite broad benefits for children. And 4 in 5 parents say having afterschool programs helps them keep their jobs.

Program affordability, accessibility, and availability limit participation in afterschool.

Affordability is the greatest barrier for families who do not have a child in an afterschool program. Accessibility (like transportation) and program availability follow.

Low- and middle-income families struggle the most.

These families face the most significant barriers to accessing afterschool programs. In fact, families in the highest income bracket spend approximately nine (9) times more on out-of-school time activities than families in the lowest income bracket.

Eighty-nine percent (89%) of parents support public funding for afterschool programs.

Support for funding afterschool opportunities is high across the political affiliations: 93% of parents who are Democrats, 89% who are independents, and 87% who are Republicans in favor of public funding.