Bright Kids Network 

In 2006, Bright House Networks created a comprehensive community relations initiative to address the issue of support for afterschool programs.

According to the Afterschool Alliance, the nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children:

• More than 14 million school age children (25%) are on their own after school. Among them are more than 40,000 kindergarteners. (America After 3 PM, May 2004)
• Only 6.5 million K-12 children (11%) participate in afterschool programs. An additional 15 million would participate if a quality program were available in their community. (America After 3 PM, May 2004)
• The hours between 3p.m. and 6p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex. (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2002)
• 9 in 10 Americans want all children and teens to have some type of organized activity or safe place to go after school. (Election Eve Poll, November 2004)
• More than half of voters (55 percent) think that there are not enough afterschool programs available for children in America today. (Afterschool Alliance Poll, September 2003)

Bright House Networks understands the challenges faced by families throughout its service areas:

• In Alabama, 20%, or 165,486 children, are unsupervised afterschool
• In California, 22%, or 1,483,431 children, are unsupervised afterschool
• In Florida, 27%, or 729,140 children, are unsupervised afterschool
• In Indiana, 24%, or 276,283 children, are unsupervised afterschool
• In Michigan, 27%, or 519,416 children, are unsupervised afterschool

With over 20% of kids in self-care during the afterschool timeframe throughout its service areas, Bright House Networks is using its combined resources to reduce this number of youth who are in self-care during the afterschool timeframe. Our investments are focuses on three key areas:

• Providing free access to kids from single parent and low income families
• Investing in developing and enhancing programs that will engage kids during the afterschool timeframe in interesting and innovative ways
• Leveraging our medium and our networks to raise awareness, advocate for, and educate parents about afterschool programs and the dangers of self-care

Bright House Networks is also supportive of the Afterschool Alliance’s Lights on Afterschool Campaign. Lights On Afterschool! is celebrated nationwide to call attention to the importance of afterschool programs for America's children, families and communities. Afterschool programs keep kids safe, help working families and inspire learning. They provide opportunities to help young people develop into successful adults.

In fact, last year, the Afterschool Alliance celebrated its 8^th annual Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide rally for afterschool programs. More than 1 million Americans participated in over 7,500 events across the country on October 18^th.

We would like to invite you to keep the momentum going by signing on to Afterschool for All, a national petition in support of afterschool programs. Bright House Networks has already lent its name to the effort, joining more than 16,000 national partners—among them governors, mayors, businesses, teachers, parents and youth—who support the goal of quality, affordable afterschool programs for all children.

To join, simply fill out the on-line sign up at http://www.afterschool2010.org/join.cfm or email Marie Coichy at mcoichy@afterschoolalliance.org. You can also visit www.afterschoolalliance.org for more information on the afterschool issue, the Afterschool for All campaign and to view a partner list. Registering online will add your name to the list of people who support free afterschool for every child who needs it. You will receive a few e-mails a year with updates on progress made, or action alerts when your grassroots involvement is needed.

Keep in mind that more than 14 million children are alone and unsupervised after school, when juvenile crime peaks. Meanwhile, studies show that children in afterschool programs are less likely to smoke, use drugs or alcohol, or skip class. They attend school more often, get better grades and are more likely to graduate.

So go online and join the movement. America’s youth needs your support!