[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 3, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1019-S1020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DODD (for himself and Mr. Ensign):
  S. 3061. A bill to amend part B of title IV of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve 21st Century Community 
Learning Centers; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today, joined by my colleague Senator 
Ensign, to introduce legislation that will provide children with safe, 
healthy, and academically focused afterschool programs.
  The Improving 21st Century Community Learning Centers Act of 2010 is 
endorsed by the Afterschool Alliance, an organization representing more 
than 25,000 public, private, and non-profit afterschool providers 
dedicated to expanding access to high quality afterschool programs, as 
well as a broad coalition of other local and national organizations.
  They, and I, have committed to providing quality afterschool care 
because the record is clear: students who regularly attend afterschool 
programs have better grades and behavior in school, better peer 
relations and emotional adjustment, and lower incidences of drug use, 
violence, and pregnancy. When kids have something productive to do in 
the hours between when they are let out of school and when their 
parents get home from work, they are more likely to avoid the traps of 
risky behavior, more likely to be physically healthy and academically 
successful, and more likely to fulfill their potential.
  As co-chairs of the Afterschool Caucus, Senator Ensign and I have 
worked to expand awareness of these benefits by organizing annual 
briefings, sharing research, and advocating fiercely for a focus on 
afterschool care when we talk about how to give our kids the best 
opportunities possible.
  While we know that afterschool care works, the truth is that too many

[[Page S1020]]

American kids don't have access to good programs. More than 15 million 
children--from kindergarten through 12th grade--spend time unsupervised 
in the hours after school. That includes an incredible 40,000 
kindergartners and nearly 4 million middle school students in grades 
six to eight.
  When the bell rings and the school day ends, these kids face some 3 
hours of unscheduled, often unsupervised time before their parents get 
home from work. Those are rarely productive hours, and, worse, those 
are the hours during which these children are most likely to experiment 
with risky behaviors.
  We can do better for our kids.
  The Improving 21st Century Community Learning Centers Act of 2010 has 
three goals. First, to enhance the quality and sustainability of 
afterschool programs. Second, to emphasize physical fitness and 
wellness programs as part of our nationwide effort to reduce childhood 
obesity, and third, to encourage service learning.
  Our legislation provides States with tools designed to keep quality 
programs going. It would allow program grantees the ability to renew 
their grants if they can show that the programs are working. It gives 
states the option to expand technical assistance functions to improve 
the quality of afterschool programs.
  Our legislation will increase opportunities for young Americans to be 
more physically active. The administration has put a focus on reducing 
obesity--one of the easiest medical conditions to recognize, but one of 
the most difficult to treat--among our children. Obesity costs our 
society as much as $147 billion each year--and the best way to stop it 
is to encourage our kids to be more active. Afterschool programs offer 
a tremendous opportunity to do just that, and our legislation includes 
such wellness efforts in the list of programs that can receive support.
  Our legislation encourages kids to get involved in service learning 
and youth development activities. Service learning integrates student-
designed service projects with academic studies. This type of program 
has been shown to strengthen student engagement, enhance student 
achievement, lower drop-out and suspension rates, develop workforce and 
leadership skills, and provide opportunities for teamwork.
  Of course, as we offer this legislation, I must also remind my 
colleagues that afterschool programs only work with sufficient funding. 
In a difficult economy, it is even more important to focus on 
empowering these programs. Studies have shown that afterschool care can 
reduce worker absenteeism by as much as 30 percent and reduce worker 
turnover by up to 60 percent. Decreased worker productivity related to 
parental concerns about afterschool care costs our economy up to $300 
billion each year. Approximately 1 in 10 children is currently enrolled 
in afterschool care. However, 2/3 of parents with children who do not 
participate in a program would enroll their children in afterschool if 
they had that option. We should work to give them that option.
  The Improving 21st Century Community Learning Centers Act is a 
positive step towards offering all of our children the chance to spend 
their afternoons safely and productively. It is a step towards making 
good on the most important promise: the one we make to our kids. I hope 
that my colleagues will join me in support of this important 
legislation.
                                 ______