“For years, afterschool programs have kept kids safe, inspired them to learn, and offered parents peace of mind that their children are constructively engaged in the hours between the end of the school day and when parents return from work. Yet, in Virginia, America After 3PM found that for every child in an afterschool program, 4 are waiting to get in, with 163,864 children alone and unsupervised after school.”- Virginia After 3PM
Surprisingly little has been known about the landscape of access to out-of-school time programs in Virginia. With approximately 163,864 Virginia children alone and unsupervised after school, where are the gaps? Where are out-of-school time programs located in Virginia? Are there program deserts? How are existing programs meeting the needs of the community? These questions have driven VPOST to launch our out-of-school time program access map. The maps below show where there are known programs and compare them against various factors of interest such as working families, poverty, and legislative districts. They are intended to inform the landscape of OST program access in Virginia and are not intended as a program referral.
Navigating the Maps
The maps below have different layers of data. The orange points are known out-of-school time programs and the shaded areas represent comparative factors, like density of school-aged children, working parents, etc. When you click on a program location (orange point) an information box will pop-up. Here you’ll see the programs’s name, address and more. The arrows in the upper right-hand or bottom right-hand corner allow you to navigate across points and comparative factors (layers) in that localized area.
The map legend is indicated by the bullet point list icon, located in the top left-hand corner of the map window. Click on the legend to expand. Here you’ll view the layers of comparative factors and an explanation of how they are represented on the map. For example, on some maps shading indicates density, such as light blue to dark blue for how many school-age children live in a region. Another example is the legislative maps which use purple and green borders to indicate house and senate districts.
Virginia’s Out-of-School Time Program Network
This map shows the locations of known out-of-school time (OST) program locations, as indicated by the orange dots. This is layered against the density of the school-aged population by county, which is indicated by the blue gradients. On first glance, the map shows more programs where there are more children. However, looking closer the data shows a high need for OST, with some counties having no known out-of-school time programs.
Working Families
Afterschool resources are critical for keeping kids safe while parents are working. This map highlights the density of working families in Virginia and overlays that with known OST programs, giving us a stronger understanding of access to OST care.
Poverty in Virginia
According to America After 3PM, 31% of children who partake in out-of-school time programs are from low-income households. Additionally, 3 in 5 parents who didn’t enroll their child in an afterschool program cited cost as an important factor in their decision. The map to the left illustrates areas of high poverty against known program locations.
Indicators of Need
Afterschool resources are critical for families in need. This map layers social vulnerability index and internet access with known OST program locations to view where there are high areas of needs.
Virginia’s Legislative District Breakdown
This map features Virginia’s program locations against both the senate and house legislative districts in Virginia. Eighty nine percent of Virginia parents support public funding of afterschool programs, and there is significant bipartisan support for greater investment in OST programs.
