Providing High-Quality Inclusive Out-of-School Time Programs in Rural Areas

Ost Programs As A Rural Resource

While 70% of the land in the United States is considered rural, only 15% of the national population lives in these areas (Fischer, 2019). Residents of rural areas tend to have similar daily struggles to those in urban areas, but due to a lack of immediate resources, these struggles may look very different. There is a higher poverty rate in rural communities (16.5%) than the national average (14.5%). In fact, 80% of counties identified as “persistently poor” were rural (Afterschool, 2016). Employees in rural areas earn approximately $10,000 less per year than their urban counterparts; this is due in part to rural adults possessing bachelor’s degrees at lower rates (Afterschool). However, jobs in rural areas also tend to pay less than comparable positions in urban areas. These factors contribute to children in rural areas being more likely to live in deep poverty, which is defined as “a family of four living on approximately $1000” per month (Afterschool). High poverty rates also correlate with food insecurity and obesity. Rural counties are one-third more likely to experience food insecurity. Children in rural areas are 26% more likely to live with obesity (Afterschool, 2016). One important benefit of OST programs is that they enable parents to work, attend classes and connect with community resources outside of their child’s school hours (America After 3PM, 2021; Rivera, 2021). This is important for rural families to minimize the risk of unemployment, poverty and food insecurity.

As of 2014, approximately 13% of rural children (1.2 million) participated in an afterschool OST program, yet 25% of their urban peers attended one (Fischer, 2019). According to a survey titled America After 3PM, “for every rural child in an afterschool program, four more children are waiting to get in” (America After 3PM, 2021). This means approximately 4.5 million rural children would attend an OST program if there was a program available to them, but there are no options available. Rural areas often have limited childcare options available for families—even more so than urban areas. In fact, a 2018 study found that “59% of rural communities are childcare deserts” (Rush, 2022). This means that there are insufficient childcare options available to families who are seeking such services. OST programs fill a very immediate childcare need in these underserved areas. Without a safe place to send their children, families may be unable to work or go to class in the afternoons or early evening—or they risk leaving their children poorly supervised at home.