Free afterschool care in Los Angeles: how ELO-P works
ELO-P is a California program that pays every school district to offer free before-school, afterschool, summer and intersession care. In Los Angeles it means a TK–6 student can stay at school until 6 p.m. at no cost, with no income test.
- What it costs families
- Free
- Who qualifies
- All TK–6 students; districts must prioritise low-income, foster, homeless and English-learner students
- Hours
- Nine hours of combined instruction and care per day, typically until 6 p.m.
- Statewide funding
- About $4.6 billion a year
- LAUSD delivery
- Beyond the Bell, at 700+ schools
- LAUSD phone
- (213) 241-7900
How to apply for free afterschool in LA
You apply at your child's school, not through a central office and not through the program provider. Ask the front office for the Before and Afterschool Program Application and hand it to the Site Coordinator.
Apply in August if you can. Sites are funded to serve everyone, but staffing capacity is real, and popular sites start waitlisting once they hit it. A family who applies in October is behind a family who applied in August.
What ELO-P afterschool programs offer, by provider
ELO-P is the money. The programming comes from whichever agency LAUSD contracts at your school — LA's BEST, Woodcraft Rangers, STAR, arc, the YMCA, the district's own Youth Development Program, or one of two dozen partner agencies.
That is why two schools three miles apart offer completely different things. Woodcraft Rangers, for example, runs STEM and sports clubs in six-week cycles. If you want something specific — martial arts, coding, dance — ask the Site Lead which clubs are running this cycle rather than assuming it isn't available.
Free afterschool in Inglewood, Compton, Long Beach and Lynwood
Inglewood Unified serves K–9 and enrolls at the school site; call (310) 419-2700. Compton Unified runs 2:30–6 p.m. with an online form; call (310) 639-4321. Lynwood works through Think Together, Culver City through STAR, and Lancaster and Palmdale through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Antelope Valley, ELEVO and Rise.
Long Beach runs WRAP, and its operator changed in July 2026 — if you were enrolled before then, confirm your site's arrangement rather than assuming it carried over.
What ELO-P funding does not cover
It will not pay a private program. The money goes to the district, which spends it at school sites. A dojo on Crenshaw or a coding studio in Inglewood cannot be paid with ELO-P funds, no matter how good it is.
It also generally stops at 6th grade. For a 7th grader you are looking at ASES and 21st CCLC at middle schools, county park programs, or a paid program with a subsidy or charter funds behind it.
Free afterschool care in Los Angeles FAQs
- Is ELO-P really free?
- Yes. There is no fee and no income test for the program itself. Districts are required to prioritise low-income, foster, homeless and English-learner students if a site reaches capacity, but the program is free to every TK–6 family.
- Do I apply through LAUSD or through my school?
- Through your school. Ask the front office for the Before and Afterschool Program Application and give it to the Site Coordinator. The central Beyond the Bell number, (213) 241-7900, is for questions, not enrollment.
- My child is in 7th grade. What are my options?
- ELO-P generally covers TK through 6th grade. For middle school, look at ASES and 21st CCLC programs at the school, LA County Parks' free Every Body Plays drop-in for ages 7 to 17, or a community program like a Boys & Girls Club.
- Can ELO-P pay for a private martial arts or coding class?
- No. ELO-P money goes to the school district and is spent at school sites. The only California channel that pays a private program directly is homeschool charter enrichment funds.
Facts on this page were verified 2026-09-12. Districts change operators mid-year and charters change their amounts — confirm with the agency before you plan around anything here.