Goldman Introduces New Legislation to Invest $10 Billion Annually in Afterschool Learning Programs 

Programming Would Be Fully Paid For By A 1% Increase In The Corporate Tax Rate
 

Legislation Would Ensure That More than 10 Million K-12 Students Can Access Afterschool Programs

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representatives Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), founding members of the Congressional Dads Caucus, introduced the Afterschool for All Act, new legislation that would provide $10 billion in federal funding annually for 10 years after school and summer learning programming. The programming would be fully paid for by a 1% increase in the corporate income tax rate. 

“Afterschool and summer learning programs are a lifeline for working parents and an invaluable source of enrichment for kids,” said Rep. Goldman. “But too often, the low-income families who need these programs the most are the ones who don’t have access to them. I am proud to be introducing this legislation to provide $10 billion a year to dramatically expand the availability of afterschool programs in communities nationwide and help make sure all of our kids are safe and supported, our parents can pursue their careers, and our economy can grow.”

"I’m introducing this bill because families need real support between the end of the school day and the end of the workday, and right now too many parents are left scrambling to cover this gap in care. I launched the Dads Caucus because I’ve seen firsthand how hard parents work to balance their jobs, the high cost of living, and being there for their kids. This bill will invest in afterschool programs to give children a safe place to learn and grow while helping parents get through the day with one less thing hanging over their heads," said Dads Caucus Chair Jimmy Gomez.

"Afterschool programs are vital to keeping kids safe, supervised, and supported after school, delivering crucial academic enrichment and allowing parents to make a living," said David Garza, President & CEO of Henry Street Settlement, which operates eight after school programs on Manhattan's Lower East Side. "High-quality afterschool is a particularly urgent need for children of low-income parents like those Henry Street serves, who struggle with inconsistent hours, frequent layoffs, and neighborhood safety issues. A positive afterschool experience is a launching pad that lasts a lifetime, and we applaud Reps. Dan Goldman and Jimmy Gomez’s Afterschool for All Act, which will extend these benefits to children throughout the United States who live in poverty."

The Afterschool for All Act reauthorizes the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and provides a tenfold increase in funding. This program, which expired in 2023, is the only federal funding source for afterschool and summer learning programming. The program enables state educational agencies to provide grants to schools and community organizations to offer afterschool activities focused on STEM, physical fitness and wellness, academic enrichment, nutrition and health education, service learning, financial literacy, apprenticeships, and other career readiness opportunities. Research consistently shows that high-quality afterschool programs improve grades, boost attendance, strengthen long-term earnings, and reduce juvenile crime. 

The need for these programs remains substantial. Millions of working parents face a persistent care gap between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., the hours when juvenile crime and risky behaviors peak and when many families cannot secure safe, affordable supervision. Without these programs, parents can be forced to cut hours or leave jobs, and local businesses lose the stable workforce they depend on. In the 2022–2023 school year, Community Learning Centers served more than a million pre-K–12 students, but demand for afterschool programs far exceeds available funding. 

The Afterschool for All Act would ensure that all students have access to afterschool opportunities by reauthorizing the Nita M. Lowey Community Learning Centers program and increasing its funding to $10 billion annually for the next decade. This tenfold expansion in funding would ensure that every low-income K-12 student - more than 10 million students nationwide - can access afterschool and summer learning programs, thereby giving them the same opportunities and support as their peers.
 

The bill is endorsed by RaisingHealth Partners, Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), Henry Street Settlement, Center for Family Life In Sunset Park, and Grand Street Settlement

Representatives Tim Kennedy (NY-26), George Latimer (NY-16), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Andre Carson (IN-07), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), and Cleo Fields (LA-06) cosponsor the legislation. 

Full text of the legislation is available here.