Carla Sanger Issues Statement Regarding State Funding for After School Programs

LOS ANGELES, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Carla Sanger, President & CEO of LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program, issued the following statement today in response to the release of the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's revised state budget.

"LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program is deeply appreciative to the Governor for his stalwart support of after school programs. In a tough budget year, there are many painful decisions to make but wisdom dictates that some programs must be protected in order to avoid consequences that are far more devastating than not making reductions.  The Governor recognizes that after school is such a program, because access to an after school program brings benefits that reverberate throughout a young Californian's life.

"LA's BEST urges the Legislature to sustain the Governor's proposal for funding after school programs. After school is an exceptionally cost-beneficial program. Children in an after school program attend school more regularly, produce higher academic achievement, avoid criminal activity and more often graduate from high school. Every dollar taken away from an after school program has to be spent anyway, but spent instead on avoidable injuries to our society."

About LA's BEST

LA's BEST - Better Educated Students for Tomorrow - is a nationally recognized after school education, enrichment and recreation program serving 28,000 children with the greatest needs and fewest resources throughout the City of Los Angeles. LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program provides a safe haven for children ages 5 to 12 at 180 elementary school sites each day during the critical hours after school - at no cost to parents. Established in 1988, LA's BEST is a partnership including the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the private sector. For more information, please visit www.lasbest.org.

SOURCE LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program