Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth McKinney.
Hi Elizabeth, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Elizabeth McKinney, CEO & Founder of AfterMath Aftercare Corporation. I began AfterMath from a very real place in my life — from my own experience as a mother.
As a mother of three, I understood the pressure of trying to work, take care of your family, and still make sure your children have everything they needed to succeed. I remember feeling guilty all the time, like there were never enough hours in the day. My life felt like a constant cycle… work, school, home, homework, dinner, baths, then preparing for the next day just to wake up and do it all over again.
At the time, I worked at a school as a secretary, and my children went to work with me every day. After school, they would sit in the office with me until I got off work because I did not have another option. I knew I was not the only parent living like that. Every day I saw families struggling with the same thing — trying to balance work and parenting, while worrying about where their children would go after school.
Afterschool programs existed, but many were limited on space, and most only provided supervision. I saw children sitting around with no structure, no academic help, and no one really pouring into them. Homework was not getting done, parents were stressed when they got home, and children were falling behind without anyone meaning for that to happen.
I always believed that the hours after school are just as important as the hours during school. Those are the hours where habits are built, confidence grows, and children begin to see what they are capable of. I wanted to create a program where children felt safe, where parents could feel peace of mind, and where learning did not stop when the school bell rang. I wanted parents to be able to come home and spend quality time with their children, without the nightly struggle of homework battles and exhaustion.
Starting AfterMath was not easy. In 2018, I started with 30 students in the library at the school where I worked. I asked teachers to stay and help students with homework and assignments, and if they didn’t have homework, we worked on grade-level skills so they would stay prepared. There were many times doors did not open right away. There were moments I questioned if I was doing the right thing, and times I had to keep going on faith alone. But I kept pushing, because I knew this was bigger than me.
Before the pandemic, we had grown to 60 students. During the pandemic, when parents still had to work but children were learning virtually, I opened a storefront location so students would have a safe place to come during the day. I had elementary and middle school students all learning virtually at my site, and we made sure they stayed on track when so much of the world felt uncertain.
When schools fully reopened, we went back into the building and quickly grew to over 120 students enrolled. What started as something small kept growing because families needed it. Children needed it. Schools needed it.
In 2023, I was asked by a local charter school to take on three of their sites. That was the moment I knew I had to make a decision. After working more than 22 years at my job, I stepped out on faith and resigned to focus completely on something I truly believed in. Something that started with my own children had now turned into something that was helping hundreds of families.
Today, AfterMath Aftercare Corporation has six locations and serves more than 400 students. At one of our sites, we even partner with the YMCA to provide academic support for their students. What makes it even more special to me is that two of my children have graduated college and now work alongside me, and my other child serves the community as a firefighter in Dickson County. What started with my family is now helping so many other families.
AfterMath Aftercare Corporation was built with heart, with prayer, and with the belief that every child deserves a safe place to go, someone who truly cares about them, and a program that helps them become better every day.
It was built to give parents peace of mind.
It was built to give children support.
It was built so families can spend less time stressed, and more time together.
AfterMath Aftercare Corporation continues to grow, and we are now franchising under AfterMath Academy LLC. We are accepting franchisees and partnering with schools and districts who are looking for a strict, structured, academic-based before and after school program to bring to their campus. Our goal is to help more schools, more families, and more communities experience the same support and peace of mind that AfterMath was built on.
And that is still the reason I do this work today. ❤️
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the hardest parts of building AfterMath was the struggle in the beginning when I did not know if it would really work. I was still working my full-time job, raising my children, and trying to build a program at the same time. There were days I was exhausted, days I questioned myself, and days I wondered if I was taking on too much.
During the pandemic, things became even more uncertain. Parents still had to work, children were learning from home, and families needed help more than ever. Opening the storefront during that time was a risk, and I did not know how it would turn out, but I knew I could not turn my back on the families who depended on me. There were long days, financial pressure, and moments where I had to pray and keep going even when I was tired.
Another struggle was making the decision to leave my job after more than 22 years. That was not easy at all. That job gave me security, benefits, and stability. Walking away from that to focus on AfterMath full-time took faith. I had to believe that what I was building would not only take care of my family but would continue to help other families too.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about AfterMath Aftercare Corporation?
AfterMath Aftercare Corporation is an academic-based before and after school program that was created to provide more than just childcare. We specialize in structured, school-based programs that focus on homework completion, academic support, discipline, and building strong daily habits for students. Our program is designed to give parents peace of mind while also helping children stay prepared, confident, and successful in the classroom.
What sets AfterMath apart from other programs is that we are very structured and education focused. We are known for running an organized program where homework comes first, behavior expectations are clear, and every student is encouraged to work at their grade level or higher. If students do not have homework, we provide grade-level skill work so that their time after school is always productive. Our goal is not just to watch children until their parents get off work, but to help create better prepared students and more confident families.
We also specialize in partnering directly with schools and school districts. Our programs operate on campus, which allows students to remain in a familiar environment while giving parents the convenience of not having to transport their children to another location. Because of our structure and consistency, many schools trust us to manage multiple sites, and we continue to grow through those partnerships.
Brand-wise, I am most proud that AfterMath was built from my own life experience as a working mother who needed this type of program for my own children. What started with a small group of students in a school library has grown into multiple locations serving hundreds of families. Today we operate several sites, serve over 400 students, partner with organizations like the YMCA, and we are now expanding through franchising under AfterMath Academy LLC so that more schools and communities can bring our program to their campus.
What I want readers to know most is that AfterMath is built on heart, structure, and consistency. We believe the hours after school matter just as much as the hours during school. Everything we do is centered around helping children succeed, helping parents worry less, and helping schools have a program they can depend on.
This is not just a business to me — it is something I built from real life, real struggles, and a real desire to help families. And that is what continues to set AfterMath apart.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I would not say luck is what built my life or my business. If anything, there were many times when things did not go the easy way, and I had to keep going even when I was unsure how everything would work out. What some people may call luck, I honestly see as faith, hard work, and being willing to keep moving forward when things were uncomfortable.
There were moments in my life where I felt like I was taking risks without knowing what the outcome would be. Leaving a job, I had for over 22 years to focus fully on AfterMath was one of those moments. That was not luck, that was faith. I had security where I was, but I also knew I had a bigger purpose, and I had to trust that what I was building would be able to stand on its own.
The pandemic was another time where luck could have gone either way. Many programs were forced to close, and parents were struggling to figure out how to work while their children were learning from home. Instead of shutting down, I decided to open a storefront virtual learning site so families would still have support. It was a risk, and I did not know how it would turn out, but that decision ended up helping my business grow and helping families who really needed somewhere safe for their children to go. Some may call that good luck, but I believe it came from being willing to step up when things were uncertain.
There were also times that felt like bad luck — doors that did not open, opportunities that did not work out, and moments where I felt like I was doing everything alone. But looking back, those moments made me stronger and forced me to stay focused on why I started in the first place. Every struggle pushed me to build AfterMath the right way, not the easy way.
I believe what has carried me the most has not been luck, but consistency, prayer, and the desire to create something that truly helps families. When your heart is in the right place and your purpose is real, things may not always happen fast, but they do come together the way they are supposed to.
That is how I see my journey — not lucky, not unlucky, but guided, tested, and built through faith and hard work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aftermathaftercare.com
- Instagram: theaftermath2020
- Facebook: The AfterMath Beyond the Classroom
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-mckinney-14b4083a5
