Afterschool: A Solution to the Prime Time for Juvenile Crime in Missouri

The 100 law enforcement leaders across the state of Missouri who are members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids have long known that the hours immediately after school lets out, when parents are likely not available to supervise, are the prime time for juvenile crime. High-quality afterschool programs not only provide enriching environments that keep kids safe, they also support students’ academic success and social and emotional benefit.

Afterschool programs benefit both kids and entire communities across our state. Unfortunately, not every child has the ability to reap the benefits of high-quality afterschool programming. In Missouri, over 260,000 students are waiting to enroll in afterschool and nearly 250,000 are alone and unsupervised in the afterschool hours.

Afterschool programs help reduce crime, improve student behavior, boost academic performance, and increase graduation rates. For our state to take juvenile crime seriously and set students on the right track in life, it is critical that we invest in these high-quality programs.