After School

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Shut down “Prime Time for Juvenile Crime” by ensuring families access to youth development programs for the after-school and summer hours. Research and evaluation across the country show that quality youth development programs can cut crime immediately and transform the Prime Time for Juvenile Crime (3:00 to 6:00 PM) into hours of constructive activities that teach youngsters the values and skills they need to become good neighbors and responsible adults.

2012 (FY13) Policy Recommendations:

A. Maintain funding to the Teen REACH program in the Illinois Department of Human Services. Last year, funding for Teen REACH in the DHS budget was cut by 40%, far beyond any reasonable measure of shared sacrifice.

B. Support implementation of the Illinois Afterschool Youth Development Program Act. The legislation adopted last year creates the Illinois Youth Development Council (housed in the Governor's office) and is charged with evaluating the effectiveness and outcomes of after-school programs, make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor, and centralize collection and reporting of data, among other things.