Despite dozens of afterschool and summer programs, for each New Jersey youth enrolled in an afterschool program, approximately 422,000 students are in need (Gibbs, 2024). The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st Century) serve approximately 140,000 youth statewide, yet demand far exceeds supply (Gibbs, 2025; NJDOE, 2025). Federal spending restrictions, like a 25% administrative cost cap, further complicate local capacity to sustain safe, high-quality programs (National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2025). This highlights an urgent need for state and local investments in New Jersey Afterschool and Summer learning infrastructure. As programs prepare for Lights on Afterschool, it reminds us that these essential services will remain unstable without consistent investments, jeopardizing New Jersey families’ access to safe, enriching learning environments.
As the demand for afterschool and summer programs has increased nationally, the federal investment in 21st Century has decreased, devastating the afterschool funding infrastructure. New Jersey’s funding pool has shrunken by $7 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Federal funding cancellations and moratoriums have led to further program cuts and limitations, leaving working families scrambling to locate alternatives. While affluent families can afford private and other fee-for-service after-school and summer enrichment programs, an overwhelming majority of middle- and lower-class families rely on publicly funded programs (Cornelli Sanderson & Richards, 2010; McNamara et al., 2020; Afterschool Alliance, 2022).
Recently, New Jersey has made notable strides in educational policy to protect student access to equitable education in and out of the classroom. New Jersey’s proposed Out-of-School Time Advisory Commission (A2414/S3457) and the work of the New Jersey School Age Care Coalition (NJSACC) indicate a momentum of statewide support for afterschool and summer program investments (Gibbs, 2024). This supports ongoing efforts by individual states to expand access to afterschool and summer programs.
This blog post is a call to action for afterschool program participants, stakeholders, and allies to rally in support of protecting and expanding these essential programs. New Jersey faces a severe gap in access to afterschool and summer programs, despite existing programs and 21st Century Community Learning Centers serving only a fraction of the demand. Shrinking federal investments, spending restrictions, and recent funding cuts have destabilized the system, underscoring the urgent need for sustained state and local investment to ensure equitable access for working families. We must urge state and local leaders to protect and expand funding for afterschool and summer learning. The Wallace Foundation (2021) notes that funding these programs is a “smart investment in our future…Supporting after-school is essential to help children succeed in school and in life and to help us emerge from the pandemic strong.” As shifting federal policy threatens equitable access to afterschool and summer programs, state and local governments must adopt bold funding strategies to safeguard students’ right to safe and supportive learning environments beyond the school day.
NJSACC: New Jersey’s Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Professional Network is a grassroots coalition of stakeholders from education, government, business, nonprofit and for-profit sectors, and health and human services. Today, NJSACC not only works to improve program quality but also leads statewide advocacy efforts to expand access to high-quality afterschool programs for all youth. Subscribe to NJSACC’s newsletter, The Flash, for real-time updates on OST legislation, events, and advocacy opportunities. Join their virtual Afterschool Conversations throughout the year to stay informed on policy developments, share stories, and connect with advocates statewide.
References
Afterschool Alliance. (n.d.). Task Forces, Commissions, & Advisory Committees. Afterschool Alliance. https://www.afterschoolalliance.org/policyActionTskFrceCommAdvComm.cfm
Access to Afterschool Programs Remains a Challenge for Many Families (p. 5). (2022). Afterschool Alliance. https://afterschoolalliance.org/documents/Afterschool-COVID-19-Parent-Survey-2022-Brief.pdf
America After 3pm: Demand Grows, Opportunity Shrinks. (2022). Afterschool Alliance. https://afterschoolalliance.org/documents/AA3PM-2020/AA3PM-National-Report.pdf
Cornelli Sanderson, R., & Richards, M. H. (2010). The After-School Needs and Resources of a Low-Income Urban Community: Surveying Youth and Parents for Community Change. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45(3–4), 430–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-010-9309-x
Gibbs, T. (2024, June 6). Today is Youth Advocacy Day!!! ACTION REQUESTED [Personal communication].
Gibbs, T. (2025, May 2). WE ARE MOBILIZING! YOU CAN ADVOCATE TOO! URGENT: Federal Threats to 21st CCLC [Personal communication].
McNamara, A. R., Akiva, T., & Delale-O’Connor, L. (2020). Opportunity gaps in out-of-school learning: How structural and process features of programs relate to race and socioeconomic status. APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, 24(4), 360–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1513794
National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2025). The Future of Youth Development: Building Systems and Strengthening Programs. (D. Moroney & P. Nalamada, Ed.). National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. https://doi.org/10.17226/27833
Newark Board of Education. (n.d.). OELT Highlights from 2024-2025. Newark Board of Education. https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/departments/teaching-learning/elt/oelt-highlights-from-2024-2025/
New Jersey Department of Education. (2025). Newark Public School District: Performance Report. https://www.nj.gov/education/sprreports/202324/District-Detail/13-3570.pdf.
(n.d.). NJ 21st CCLC Grantees. 21st Century Community Learning Centers. https://www.nj.gov/education/21cclc/abstracts/
Wallace Foundation. More Kids Than Ever Are Missing out on Afterschool Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2025, from https://wallacefoundation.org/resource/article/why-are-so-many-kids-missing-out-afterschool