New summer findings from America After 3PM show that Michigan families want structured summer opportunities for their young people, but far too many are unable to access them.
Parents of 641,542 Michigan young people want a structured summer program for their family. Only 225,445 are currently enrolled, meaning approximately 416,000 young people are missing out.
That means two out of every three Michigan young people whose parents want a summer program are unable to participate, most often because of cost.
Families Want Safe, Supportive Summer Opportunities
Structured summer programs include enrichment and sports programs, summer camps, summer school, jobs, and internships. These experiences offer young people safe places to spend their time, stay active, build relationships, continue learning, and explore their interests while school is out.
Michigan parents said the factors they value most when choosing a summer program include:
A safe environment
Support for mental health and well-being
Opportunities for physical activity and wellness
For working families, these programs also provide peace of mind that young people are safe, engaged, and supported during the summer months.
“The Summer Struggle for Michigan Families is a sobering reminder that too many working families scramble to find summer programs for their children,” said Erin Skene-Pratt, Executive Director of the Michigan Afterschool Partnership. “It shouldn’t be this difficult for families to access summer programs that will help their children engage, be active, and learn over the summer. We are working with a great team of local and state policymakers, funders, and community partners to tackle this problem and help ensure that every Michigan family can access the summer options they deserve.”
Cost Is the Most Common Barrier
Although demand for summer programming is high, affordability remains the largest obstacle for Michigan families.
Among parents who were unable to enroll their young person:
34% cited cost as a barrier.
18% cited program location or transportation challenges.
14% said programs were unavailable.
These barriers can force families to piece together care, adjust work schedules, rely on limited informal options, or go without summer programming entirely.
The findings show that the summer access gap is not caused by a lack of interest. Families want these opportunities, but many cannot find programs that are affordable, nearby, available, or accessible through reliable transportation.
Parents Give Summer Programs High Marks
Families who are able to access summer programs report overwhelmingly positive experiences.
In Michigan, 96% of parents with a young person enrolled said they were satisfied with the program they attended.
Nationally, the findings also showed that parents with a young person enrolled in a summer program were more likely to feel extremely confident that their young person would be prepared for the upcoming school year.
Summer programs are not simply a way to fill time while school is out. They can help young people stay connected, reduce isolation, remain physically active, strengthen academic skills, and return to school ready for the year ahead.
Strong Support for Public Investment
Michigan parents overwhelmingly support public funding to expand access to summer opportunities.
Nine out of 10 Michigan parents, or 90%, said they support public funding for summer programs. That support crossed political affiliations:
93% of Democrats
90% of Independents
89% of Republicans
The broad support reflects the value families place on summer programs and the understanding that access should not depend on a family’s income, ZIP code, transportation options, or ability to navigate limited program availability.
Michigan Must Close the Summer Access Gap
The new America After 3PM summer findings provide a clear call to action.
Michigan families want high-quality summer opportunities for their young people. They value the safety, learning, wellness, connection, and stability these programs provide. Yet hundreds of thousands of young people remain unable to participate.
Closing that gap will require sustained public investment, stronger transportation solutions, increased program capacity, and affordable options in communities across the state.
Every young person deserves access to a safe and supportive place to learn, grow, connect, and belong during the summer. Michigan families have made the demand clear. Now, our state must work together to ensure those opportunities are within reach.
The summer findings are part of the America After 3PM series of household surveys conducted by Edge Research on behalf of the Afterschool Alliance. The Michigan findings are based on responses from 2,151 parents of school-aged young people. Data were collected between January 31 and April 21, 2025. The America After 3PM summer research was funded by The Wallace Foundation.
