By age 18, students have spent on average 85 percent of their waking hours outside of school. Their use of that time--constructive or not--helps direct their futures. In afterschool and summer programs, young people explore new interests, develop new skill sets, and create lasting relationships with peers and caring adults that shape who they are, who they want to be, and how they interact with the world. Such programs also further key goals that schools and state boards of education set for young people: academic growth, engagement, attendance, and well-being. While all children still do not have access to them, afterschool programs are not a luxury. They keep children and youth safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace of mind. As afterschool providers adapted to meet community needs during the pandemic, the programs became a pivotal means for ensuring that students could access learning and for maintaining community connections with families and students. They provided food for families in need, distributed education kits with STEM and other activities, checked in on students by phone or with front-porch visits, helped families get computers and access to Wi-Fi, and provided a safe, often daylong place for the children of essential workers when schools were closed. But pandemic relief dollars are sunsetting. Communities are reducing offerings, scaling back the number of young people who can participate, eliminating transportation, and charging families fees, even as academic and social-emotional recovery remains an urgent national priority.