More than 1 million California children under age 14 go home to an empty house after school.
Half of the state's school children come from households with a single working parent or guardian, or with both parents or guardians at work when they get home from school.
Studies also show that the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. are the most dangerous for children. That's when they're most likely to experiment with drugs or sex, commit crimes or get victimized.
Proposition 49 on the November ballot the - After School Education and Safety Act - provides $433 million in grants to help elementary and middle schools set up afternoon programs that will give kids a safe, educationally enriching and fun place to go after school.
Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness, is sponsoring the initiative with $1 million of his own money. CTA is backing the measure, along with the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, the District Attorneys Association, and Children Now.
"I know firsthand the incredible impact after-school programs have on our children," says Schwarzenegger. "Simply put, they change lives. Test scores go up, self-esteem goes up, juvenile crime goes down, and our neighborhoods are safer for everyone."
The program will not require any new taxes nor will it impact Prop. 98 funding guarantees for schools. It will be funded entirely through growth in state appropriations. The act is triggered when the economy picks up enough to generate at least $1.5 billion more in non-education spending than in previous years.
For more information, visit the campaign's website http://www.joinarnold.com/