This study takes advantage of the two-cohort nature of Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) to look at the take-up of afterschool care for two cohorts of children born a decade apart (Cohort ’98 and Cohort ’08), each studied at ages 9 and 13. It examines the take-up pattern of afterschool care across social groups and explores the consequences of participation for engagement in social activities as well as cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes. While the period of data collection predates recent policy developments in afterschool care, the analyses provide important insights into the relationship between child and family characteristics and take-up of different types of afterschool care, and point to important issues to be addressed in future policy development.