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PAGE 67
<br />emphasized that dependable, affordable childcare
<br />is crucial for them to sustain their employment and
<br />ensure their economic stability.
<br />As seen in Table 25, there is a childcare funding
<br />subsidy gap in the Tri-Valley. This gap is estimated
<br />to be greatest in Pleasanton, followed closely by
<br />Livermore. In both of those places, it is estimated
<br />that around 600 preschoolers who are eligible for
<br />subsidized childcare are not receiving that benefit.
<br />ACCESSIBLE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
<br />Youth engagement activities are needed for
<br />elementary, middle, and high school students. This
<br />includes a need for after school and extracurricular
<br />programs, sports that are more widely accessible
<br />to those at various levels, and affordable summer
<br />programs.
<br />After School and Enrichment Programs. Parents and
<br />other community members noted that there were
<br />some after school programs, but they were generally
<br />unaffordable and most often aimed at serving
<br />elementary students. One parent said: “We have
<br />activities for after school for elementary students. But
<br />I will say for the middle schoolers, they need to have
<br />activities or something after school because all the
<br />schools that I know, the middle schools in Dublin, they
<br />close. So, there’s no after school programs for them to
<br />go to.”
<br />Participants emphasized a need for affordable after-
<br />school care and enrichment programs for middle and
<br />high school students. Often, parents aren’t home
<br />after school, leaving children or adolescents alone,
<br />isolated, or involved in harmful activities such as
<br />substance use. Suggestions for activities included
<br />community engagement, cooking and art classes, and
<br />volunteering (e.g., assisting older adults).
<br />Youth noted that extracurricular activities were often
<br />financially inaccessible. One said:
<br />“I think a lot of activities are really expensive.
<br />Like mock trial and speech and debate, every
<br />tournament—once or twice a month—is $100.
<br />And that doesn’t include driving and buying food
<br />and things like that. So a lot of clubs are really
<br />expensive. I know with DECA you’re going to out of
<br />state tournaments; those are hundreds of dollars.
<br />Some people can’t afford that, so that is restricting
<br />access to how many people can attend.”
<br />Additionally, while there are fee assistance programs
<br />for many extracurricular activities, there are often still
<br />elements of participation that require financial
<br />resources. One student said “Even when the school
<br />provides extracurricular activities, you still have to pay
<br />for it, and it’s not cheap. It’s like thousands of dollars.
<br />My [sibling] is starting marching band this year, it’s a
<br />three-month program and they’re asking everyone to
<br />pay $1,500.” In a separate focus group, a parent
<br />corroborated this. “It’s really expensive…not everyone
<br />can make it, not every single kid can pay, so it’s not
<br />fair. They want to be in the band and they cannot do it
<br />because they can’t afford it.”
<br />Summer Programs. There is also a need for affordable
<br />summer programs for elementary, middle, and
<br />high school students. Parents noted the high cost
<br />of summer camps and long wait lists for affordable
<br />options. High school students also noted the cost,
<br />with one stating, “To add on to summer, I was looking
<br />with my mom for camps for people who are interested
<br />in law, and a lot of them were thousands of dollars.
<br />It’s very hard for people when they’re trying to get
<br />into something.”
<br />A number of youth indicated that summer can be a
<br />difficult time. One said: “I agree that summer can be
<br />really lonely. It’s hard to make plans because a lot
<br />of friends are traveling or doing camps, it’s hard to get
<br />people together, which is why I think there needs to be
<br />more community events during the summer, especially
<br />that are advertised to kids and teenagers, so that we
<br />can see more people, and meet new people even.
<br />That’d be nice.”
<br />Sports. The inaccessibility of sports was frequently
<br />mentioned, with several parents noting the high cost
<br />of children’s participation, including registration and
<br />travel. This results in a gap between families that can
<br />pay for sports and those that cannot. One parent
<br />noted that “Everything comes with a price tag, you
<br />know? And to boot, the equipment on top of that…
<br />quite a few years ago it was $300 to get someone into
<br />football, then you still have to get all the other stuff
<br />that you need. Plus then you’ve got to transport the
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