Thousands of Pennsylvania Children with No Place to Go After School? Santorum Votes against afterschool programs

Santorum's Words
“What about the children who live in dysfunctional families? Of course those children and their parents will need help, and even supervision, from various kinds of social support networks, including the educational system.” It Takes a Family – pg. 364

Santorum's Actions
Most children don’t live in dysfunctional families – but they do need after school supervision when their parents work. A good way to do this is through strong afterschool programs. Afterschool programs help improve grades and reduce school dropouts. They also help reduce parental stress and absenteeism from work.

Just 8% of children in Pennsylvania working families are in afterschool programs, while 28% of children in Pennsylvania working families are “latchkey kids” with no adult supervision in the afternoon.

Rick Santorum has voted several times against expanding federal support for afterschool programs in Pennsylvania:

• Roll Call Vote #340, S.Amdt.1609 to S.Amdt.1542 to H.R.2660, 9/10/2003, to provide additional funding for afterschool programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It failed 46-49.
• RCV #105, S.Amdt.563 to S.Amdt.358 to S.1, 5/16/2001, to express the sense of the Senate that the Congress should appropriate the authorized level of $1.5 billion in 2002 for afterschool programs. It also would authorize a total of $19.5 billion between 2003 through 2008 for afterschool programs. It passed 60-39.
• RCV #132, S.Amdt.319 to S.254, 5/19/1999, to reduce both juvenile crime and the risk that youth will become victims of crime and to improve academic and social outcomes for students by providing productive activities during after school hours. Santorum voted to kill this amendment and it was killed, 53-47.
• RCV #100, S.Amdt.2306 to H.R.2646, 4/23/1998, to improve academic and social outcomes for students by providing productive activities during after school hours. It failed 49-51.
• RCV #44, S.Amdt.65 to S.Amdt.31 to S.280, 3/11/1999, to improve academic and social outcomes for students and reduce both juvenile crime and the risk that youth will become victims of crime by providing productive activities during after school hours. Santorum voted along with 54 other senators to kill this amendment.
• RCV #298, S.Amdt.1809 to S.1650, 9/29/1999, to increase funds for the 21st century community learning centers program. Santorum voted along with 53 other senators to kill this amendment.

Click below to help spotlight Rick Santorum's record in voting against expanding afterschool programs for Pennsylvania's children and families: