The Skillman Foundation

This op-ed originally ran in The Detroit News and was co-authored by Angelique Power, Ridgway White, and David Egner. Angelique Power is President and CEO at The Skillman Foundation, Ridgway White is CEO at the Mott Foundation, and David Egner is CEO at the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.

As Election Day draws closer, Michigan remains in the national spotlight as a critical battleground state. While voters in the state are choosing who to vote for or even reconsidering their political party, they stand strongly united in their support for after-school programs.

Statewide, according to research from the Afterschool Alliance, 86% of parents support public funding for these programs. The group found that support is strong across the political spectrum, with 94% of Democrats, 91% of Republicans and 82% of Independents in favor of funding after-school programs. These and other data about the state of after school in Michigan reveal how much families need these programs, and that they need more of them. Here’s why:

For youth, they open up a world of new learning opportunities that spark their curiosity, give them freedom to explore, and help them build life skills. For parents, after school is a safe, fun place for their kids to engage with mentors and other kids while they finish work.

Decades of research prove how much young people benefit from programs like this. Youth connect with caring educators who are trained to help them gain confidence and develop coping skills. Programs get kids excited about learning, so they attend school more often, get better grades and improve their behavior in class. When kids have these supports, our families, schools and communities’ benefit too.

Michigan lawmakers and leaders get it. Our state budget now includes $50 million annually for after-school and summer programs. This year those funds are creating new learning opportunities for more than 67,000 young people. Despite this progress, Michigan — like all states — has never had enough programs for all the families who want and need them. For every Michigan child enrolled in after-school care, four more are waiting to get in, according to an Afterschool Alliance special report.

We believe we can and must do better for Michigan kids and families. That’s why our foundations are joining together to support All in Michigan: Afterschool for Every Child, a new statewide campaign by the Michigan Afterschool Partnership to raise awareness about the power of these programs and put our state on the path to a universal after school and summer system.

This is a bold vision for a system that puts Michigan youth and families first. And there are things you can do to help realize that vision in our state: This month marks the 25th anniversary of “Lights On Afterschool,” a national celebration where programs in every state hold events and light up landmarks to show their support for after school and underscore the need in their community.

Each year, this is an opportunity for leaders to visit a program and hear directly from youth about how much it matters. It’s also a powerful reminder that our lawmakers, businesses, schools, communities and foundations must continue working together to expand access to these programs.

And as newly elected officials take their seats next year, we must let them know this is an issue that unites our state and a solution for addressing priorities in every district. Working together, we can make afterschool for every child a reality in Michigan and create lasting change that will better serve our kids and families today and for generations to come.