Every Child. Every Summer. -Guidance for 2020 Presidential Candidates on the Importance of Summer Programs for Children and Working Families
Summertime Presents Unique Challenges for Youth and Working Families
Summer is the time of greatest inequity for children in America. All gaps – achievement and opportunity – grow in the summertime. During the school year, children have access to critical resources through public schools, including access to learning, caring and supportive adults, supervision, regular nutritious meals, physical activity, enrichment programs, and health care.
When the services “faucet” turns off during the summer months, children from low-income families largely go without these critical services for three months. Summer is not idyllic for many low-income children and youth because of the lack of access to basic needs such as meals and meaningful, engaging learning experiences.