More children from rural areas are participating in after-school programs, but unmet demand for these opportunities remains high.
That was a key finding in a report released this month by Afterschool Alliance. It found that 13 percent of students in rural areas take part in after-school programs, up from 11 percent in 2009 but still below the national average of 18 percent. For every rural student enrolled in an after-school program, three more would enroll if such a program were available, the report says. It draws on results from online surveys of more than 13,700 households and more than 660 rural after-school providers.