CONTACT:

Jennifer Gallo, Community Public Relations Coordinator
302-479-1691

For immediate release – October 11 , 2007

Governor and Lt. Governor Declare October 18th, 2007 as Lights On Afterschool Day in Delaware

(WILMINGTON, DE) -- State leadership has declared October 18, 2007 as Lights On Afterschool Day in Delaware.  Lights On Afterschool is a nationwide event that recognizes the critical importance of quality afterschool programs in the lives of children, their families and communities.  The declaration urges all Delawareans to support and engage in innovative afterschool programming. 

Events in Delaware and nationwide will mark the eighth annual Lights On Afterschool sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance.  The 2007 Lights On Afterschool launches the 10th anniversary of the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative, which has made afterschool programs available to hundreds of thousands of children across the nation over the last decade.  Still, funding has not kept up with demand, and millions of children are alone and unsupervised each afternoon after the school day ends. 

“Lights On Afterschool is a national celebration that calls attention to the valuable services provided to America’s young people by afterschool programs. Approximately 15,000 school-age children in Delaware do not have access to a high quality afterschool programs, leaving them to fend for themselves in the critical hours between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.,” said David Hilyard, Afterschool Policy Network Coordinator for the Delaware Afterschool Alliance. “In Delaware, the reasons for a lack of access to afterschool programs are varied, but include: lack of funding, lack of transportation services, and lack of accessible locations where programs can be conducted. Afterschool programs keep kids safe, assist working families, inspire learning, and help our young people develop into caring, productive and successful adults.  As parents, program directors, school administrators, teachers, and citizens of Delaware, we must create partnerships that will open more afterschool centers to more young people.  Afterschool is the key that will open the door to our children's success.”

The Delaware AfterSchool Alliance (DEASA) is a public-private partnership that endorses the goal of all school-age children being academically, socially, culturally, and physically healthy. Private and public stakeholders, along with schools, children and their families will work together to: create a long-term policy voice for afterschool programs; advocate for policies that support high quality programs; support the afterschool workforce; increase public awareness; build bridges between the public schools and community-based organizations for school-based or school-linked afterschool programs; and support family-centered practices.  For more information about the Delaware AfterSchool Alliance, please call 302-479-1664 or visit www.familyandworkplace.org/providers/deasalliance.asp.

For more information about Lights On Activities in Delaware, please visit www.afterschoolalliance.org/lights_on/glance.cfm.

 

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