Jul 02 Kids and Families Want Summer Programming, Allegheny County Wants to Build Capacity

Jul 02h in Bold Voices by

(July 2, 2026)

This Bold Voices blog post was written by one of Allies for Children’s partners about a subject that is relevant to their work as well as ours.

Today’s blog was written by: Karen Dreyer, Executive Director at Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST).

As families shift into the summertime season, it is important to remember that although formal schooling has paused for the summer, children’s minds do not pause from growing. Young people continue to develop and they continue to be especially receptive to new learning experiences. Summer is a wonderful opportunity for kids to keep learning in new environments without a rigid school day schedule. It is a time for youth to try new activities, meet new friends and gain necessary skills for being successful in life.

Based on the recently released America After 3PM report highlighting key information about Allegheny County’s summer programming landscape, 40% of families who would like their child to be in a summer program do not have access to one. The reasons for this vary but are primarily due to barriers of program cost or location and transportation challenges. For families with children in summer programs, 96% of parents express strong satisfaction with the programs that their kids are attending, and 91% express a strong desire to see more public investment in summer learning programs. While this gap is large, Allegheny County’s gap fares much better than the state and national landscape, where 50% of parents don’t have access to summer programs for their children.

Summer programs are essential for parents and caregivers to continue working, and to do so with peace of mind knowing their kids are engaged in fun, safe, and enriching activities while providing for their families.

As a society, we’re recognizing more and more about how kids being isolated and spending too much time on technology can impact their development, especially in the teen years. Less than 60% of adolescents report receiving the social and emotional support that they need. Youth who do not receive the social support that they need report higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Summer learning opportunities provide a great alternative for young people to be engaged in real relationships and real community. Whether it be learning how to code, how to throw clay on a pottery wheel, or how to push themselves in a sport they are passionate about, summer camps provide the necessary activities that stretch kids to learn in ways that the school year doesn’t provide.

I am excited about County Executive Sara Innamorato’s recent announcement to invest in increasing capacity in out-of-school time programs and out-of-school time professionals through Forward with Families. Initiatives like this ensure that more young people have access to the high-quality summer learning opportunities that exist in Allegheny County to strengthen kids, families and our whole community.

To support summer learning programs and out-of-school time providers, contact your state elected official to ask them to sustain funding for the Building Opportunities through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) program in the 2026-2027 Pennsylvania state budget. To learn more about BOOST, click here.