Looking for good after-school programs? You can find them in North Carolina, which recently ranked in the Top 10 in America After 3pm, a survey of after-school programs in all 50 states. But most parents statewide who want their kids in after-school programs aren’t able to find them, usually because programs aren’t available, they can’t afford the fees or transportation issues make it impossible.

Those results come from the landmark America After 3PM study, conducted for the Afterschool Alliance non-profit advocacy organization and sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. It is being released this month in conjunction with Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide rally for after-school set for Thursday. For more information or to find a local event,visit www.AfterschoolAlliance.org.

Of the 688 households surveyed in North Carolina, 86 percent of parents were happy with their child’s after-school program. Parents cited affordability, child enjoyment, convenient location and the ability to provide a safe haven as their four top reasons for selecting an after-school program. Other states who made the top 10 list were Hawaii, Arizona, New York,California, New Jersey, Virginia, New Mexico, Florida and Texas.

In North Carolina, the survey found that 12 percent of schoolchildren are enrolled in after-school programs, up from 10 percent in 2004. But despite an increase in attendance, 31 percent of the state’s schoolchildren are now on their own in the afternoons, and another 13 percent are in the care of their brothers or sisters. In addition, the parents of 36 percent of children not already in after-school programs say they would enroll their kids in a program if one were available.

“The data underscore that, despite some progress, we still have significant work ahead if we are to make quality after-school programs available to every child in this state,” said Jamie Knowles, Director of the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs. “Too many children who need after-school programs don’t have them, and families are carrying a heavier burden as a result. That’s particularly difficult during these hard economic times.”

Ain’t that the truth. The Associated Press is reporting that the level of poverty in America is even worse than first believed, with one in six Americans living in poverty. Why? The latest tally uses a new revised formula for calculating America’s poverty that factors in rising medical care, transportation, child care or geographical variations in living costs. The old formula does not.

I can’t believe that childcare expenses weren’t ever figured in to the old formula. Who’s minding the kids is a big burden on parents’ minds and their wallets.

Visit www.CarolinaParent.com's Preschool and Child Care Directory to find the right care for your child in the Triangle.