After-school programmes response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

This article explores the role of after-school programmes (ASPs) in serving under-served families in Barcelona, Spain, during the lockdown phase of the COVID-19pandemic. Using a mixed-method approach, this exploratory study surveyed 31 direc-tors of ASPs administered by the Pere Tarrés Foundation. These ASPs serve almost2000 children living under the federal poverty level in Catalonia, Spain. Resultsshowed that the primary needs of children and their families revolved around: a digi-tal divide that prevented them from accessing education remotely, financial difficul-ties, mental and behavioural problems and difficulty navigating pandemic-relatedinformation. The study also explores the ASPs' contributions to address such needs,like engaging families, schools and social and health services to meet the urgentneeds of the families, reinforcing school learning, providing support for managingemotions and providing guidance to families to help them better understand healthinformation and gain access to available social and financial resources.