Lowey Announces Relaunch of Congressional Afterschool Caucus, Named Democratic Co-Chair

Statement

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, today announced the relaunch of the Congressional Afterschool Caucus, of which she will serve as the Democratic Co-Chair, for the 116th Congress. The bipartisan caucus raises awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocates for vital resources that promote quality programming in New York and across the country. Congressman Don Young (AK-At-Large) will serve as the Republican Co-Chair.

"Afterschool programs provide a safe and reliable setting for our students to access mentorship, learning enrichment, nutrition, and physical activity between 3 P.M. and 6 P.M., making afterschool programs essential for working families," said Congresswoman Lowey. "I am eager to continue once again as Co-Chair of the Congressional Afterschool Caucus, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to support afterschool programs and the children and families they serve."

"As a former teacher, I know how important it is for children to have access to safe and educational afterschool programs," said Congressman Don Young. "Parents across the country work hard to support their families, and afterschool programming is a critical resource for working families who do not have the option of choosing between their job or their children. The mission of the Congressional Afterschool Caucus is crucially important, and I look forward to the work ahead to ensure that our nation's children and their families have the resources necessary to succeed."

"Afterschool programs, and the millions of students and families who rely on them, are fortunate to have Representatives Nita Lowey and Don Young co-chairing the House Afterschool Caucus this year," said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance. "Their skillful advocacy, vast experience and deep dedication to making afterschool programs available to all children and families make them highly effective champions. They are well positioned to build awareness about the vitally important role afterschool and summer learning programs play in keeping kids safe, inspiring them to learn and giving working parents peace of mind that their children are safe, supervised and learning after the school days ends. As we face continuing threats to federal afterschool funding, the House Afterschool Caucus needs the kind of powerful leadership Reps. Lowey and Young bring, now more than ever."

Congresswoman Lowey has been a leader in the U.S. House in advancing legislation and securing funding to advance afterschool programs. She helped create the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the first federal afterschool initiative, and has fought to increase funding from $1 million in 1996 to more than $1 billion today. In 2005, Congresswoman Lowey formed the Congressional Afterschool Caucus to build support for these programs in Congress and provide sufficient funding to meet the growing demand for afterschool initiatives.

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