ADVOCACY ALERT: Help Save Afterschool In New Jersey

The Governor of New Jersey today announced the elimination of all funding in 2011-12 for New Jersey After 3, the states premier public-private partnership dedicated to expanding afterschool opportunities for youth in all communities, from rural to urban. For only .03% of the total budget, NJ After 3 is able to serve thousands of families statewide, providing to taxpayers these four vital public benefits:

• Providing free or low-cost childcare options to working families
• Expanding learning time for youth by 40% for only 33 cents per child per day
• Keeping young people safe and off the streets during the most dangerous hours for youth: 3 - 6pm
• Promoting positive youth development and improving academic outcomes for youth

Times are tough economically, and states need to embrace solutions that save taxpayers money while providing much needed benefits. NJ After 3 is just such a solution, with a documented return on investment of 150% - that's a lot of bang for the taxpayers buck. You can help keep evidenced based afterschool programs in the state of NJ by signing their Change.org petition, and sharing it with everyone you know.