Illinois After-school Partnership

The Illinois After-school Partnership

The Illinois After-school Partnership is co-chaired by the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois State Board of Education, and coordinated by the Illinois Center for Violence Prevention. The Partnership is working with child care, social service and youth development providers, educators, parents and youth, business representatives, policy makers and advocates to create a state-wide infrastructure that builds, supports and sustains high quality out-of-school-time programs for all interested school-age children and youth in Illinois.

The ultimate goal of the Partnership is that Illinois children and youth will have access to a network of out-of-school-time programs that in a positive and safe environment provide the opportunity:

To participate in rewarding activities
To improve their academic performance
To develop positive relationships with peers and adults
To gain self-confidence

Our website provides information on the work of the Partnership, along with resources and information about afterschool for afterschool providers, policy makers, advocates, communities and families. We welcome your feedback on our website as we hope it is a useful tool for those who visit.

"I have a child who is about to be in junior high and there are no programs for him to go to. And to me, he is not old enough to be at home on his own. This is going to be a dilemma for me"
-Parent from Southern Illinois

"If it weren't for this program, I would be locked up."
-A high school student from a small town in Northern Illinois