I am writing you to urge you to sign on to Amendment 243 orignally sponsored by Senator Brendan Crighton to increase the Afterschool and Out of School Time Quality (ASOST-Q. line item 7061-9611) in the FY 2020 budget to $4.72 million. This would match the funding level in the House budget. Businesses in the United States lose an estimated $50-$300 billion per year in healthcare costs and reduced job productivity from working parents who do not have adequate afterschool support for their children. These parents many times have to choose between keeping the children safe and supporting their families financially. By raising the funding of the Afterschool and Out of School Time Grants line item, you will make it so fewer parents have to contend with those impossible decisions. Additionally, in 2017, there were more than 320,000 high needs children and youth without access to publicly funded afterschool programs. The ASOST-Q grant is the only statewide dedicated funding source for high quality afterschool and summer programming. By signing on to Senator Crighton's Amendment, you will allow thousands more kids to have access to this critical afterschool learning. A 2014 poll showed that more than 80% of Massachusetts parents supported state funded afterschool programs. Afterschool and Summer Learning Works. It works for families who want to keep their children safe. It works for students with high needs. Help it work for everyone. Please sign on to Amendment 243 to raise the funding of the Afterschool and Out of School Time grants line item.