Most Michigan voters want the state to spend more on afterschool and summer programs, according to a new poll released by the Michigan Afterschool Partnership.

The Lansing-based polling firm EPIC/MRA surveyed 600 likely voters Aug. 22-28. Among respondents, 84% said they support expanding access to afterschool and summer programs so more families can participate. Sixty-three percent said they "strongly" support expansion.

Seventy-two percent of respondents called it "extremely" or "very important" that all Michigan families have access to affordable, quality programs. The Michigan Afterschool Partnership's Sept. 30 release did not provide a margin of error for the poll.

The poll comes as Michigan faces a gap between demand and available slots. About five out of six children who would enroll in an afterschool program cannot because there are not enough spots, according to the Michigan Afterschool Partnership.

"These numbers make it clear that Michigan voters see the afterschool funding gap and want their leaders to close it," Stephanie Van Koevering, director of public affairs for the Michigan Afterschool Partnership, said in a Sept. 30 press release. "When five out of six kids who want to participate in an afterschool program, but are unable to, that's a crisis for working families. And voters across the political spectrum are telling us to fix it."

State funding rose to $135 million

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan budget on July 21 that included $135 million for out-of-school-time programming for students in grades K-12, according to MiLEAP's grant page. That is up from the $75 million appropriated for the prior fiscal year, which was signed into law Oct. 7, 2025. MiLEAP awarded roughly $73 million of that earlier amount in competitive grants.

In an Oct. 13, 2025, statement announcing the earlier $75 million grant program, Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP, said the investment would ensure "Michigan's children and families have the opportunities and resources they need to succeed in the year ahead and beyond."

Eligible grant applicants include nonprofits, faith-based organizations, federally recognized tribal governments, colleges, public libraries, municipalities and intermediate school districts. The 2026-27 application window closed Sept. 23. In the previous funding round, the City of East Lansing School Age Programs received $695,280, according to MiLEAP.

In the Michigan Afterschool Partnership poll, 60% of respondents said the state should increase its investment in afterschool and summer programs, with 31% favoring a large increase.

The partnership also reported that 81% of Michigan parents whose children participate in afterschool programs say the programs help them keep their jobs. When voters were asked whether afterschool and summer programs are mainly an education issue, mainly support for working families and the economy, or both equally, a strong majority said both equally, while 4% viewed them solely as an education issue.

Poll asks about impact on 2026 governor's race

Nearly half of respondents, 46%, said they would be more likely to vote for a gubernatorial candidate who made expanding access to afterschool and summer programs a priority, compared with 4% who said it would make them less likely, according to the Michigan Afterschool Partnership.

"Candidates who lean into expanding afterschool and summer programs have a real opportunity to connect with voters, because nearly half of Michiganders say it would move their vote," Van Koevering said in the Sept. 30 release. "We're calling on state leaders to use these findings as a mandate to close the access gap and increase investment in afterschool and summer programming as we approach the 2026 election."

Federal layoffs affected afterschool oversight team

Michigan also relies on federal funding through 21st Century Community Learning Centers, or 21st CCLC. The program supports about 250 sites serving roughly 20,000 K-12 students in underserved communities statewide, according to Michigan State University researchers. The centers have operated in Michigan since 2002.

Federal Education Department layoffs in October 2025 affected the team that manages the 21st CCLC program nationally, PBS NewsHour reported. Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, said the federal team provided essential guidance and warned the layoffs could cause lasting harm to the program.