By Shelley Kofler, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-865842.mp3
Dallas – When City of Dallas officials announced they would continue funding afterschool programs at recreation centers, they failed to mention they were nearly eliminating the city's free programs at other facilities. Thursday concern about those cutbacks simmered below the surface during a media event touting afterschool care. KERA's Shelley Kofler reports.
At a Dallas press conference Jodi Grant of the Afterschool Alliance released the results of a national survey. It found participation in Texas afterschool programs has increased 50 percent in the past five years.
Grant: Texas has been named one of the top ten states for after school. The reason why is it's doing a really good job with programs for youth.
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert then talked about the importance of quality after school care.
Leppert: If kids are in after school care, if they are working on things that are productive/ They are not out getting in trouble and that is important for the community
What the mayor didn't mention, however, was that several months after that survey was completed the City of Dallas adopted a budget that cut afterschool funding.
Most news reporters missed it, because the city highlighted its decision to restore hours at the park and recreation centers. Here's what Parks and Recreation Director Paul Dyer said September 16 as the budget was being finalized.
Dyer: It covers afterschool programs in a very comprehensive way.
The parks department says afterschool programs at 38 city rec centers were kept, though fees at some have risen slightly.
But the city acknowledges it did cut ten other sites that provided free, afterschool enrichment programs and care for some 600 children. The city also cut afterschool staff though how many isn't clear. That saved the city at least $688,000.
Tanya McDonald with the Dallas Afterschool Network says she thinks afterschool cuts may be even greater.
McDonald: It's disappointing and it concerns me because my fear is it's not really a cost savings. When I hear we're putting children out on the street I immediately think of the social welfare costs our community is going to experience down the road. I don't think you can send that many kids out after school with nothing to do and not see and increase in crime.
Mayor Leppert says the city preserved as much as it could.
Leppert: Within the rec centers we still have most all of the rec programs that are in there and that become a big part of what we're doing. So it's not just after school but it's on the weekends and that sort of thing. Clearly a challenge. We couldn't do everything we wanted to do but I think we've been sensitive.
McDonald says other afterschool programs in Dallas County have also lost funding, and have waiting lists for children who are on their own when classes let out at the end of the day.
So, will Texas and Dallas look as good in the next survey of afterschool care? Many advocates aren't so sure.