Several children in grades K-5 are attending after-school programs for various reasons, such as academic support, social interaction, and behavioral support. The problem investigated is that short-term success has been stated and researched, but the long-term academic effectiveness of after-school programs for students in urban educational classroom settings is lacking. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how parents' perceptions of successful after-school programs in suburban school districts influence the participation of families in a K-5 urban after-school program in Georgia. For the purpose of this study, non-white students were defined as students who are not Caucasian, Hispanic, or Asian. Purposive sampling was utilized in this study to select five parents of students who are African-American and actively participating in an urban after-school program. Data were petitioned through a questionnaire and interviews. The population of this study was comprised of five parents of students from an urban after-school program located in the Metro Atlanta area in Georgia. The qualifications for this sample group included being an African-American parent of a student in grades K-5 actively participating in the after-school program. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]