The Afterschool Alliance's fourth edition of "America after 3PM" provides a detailed accounting of the circumstances and conditions of U.S. children during the hours of 3 to 6 p.m. and compares afterschool program participation and unmet demand statistics for 2020 with results from 2004, 2009, and 2014. It identifies trends in…

Policymakers nationwide must decide how to best invest in education and related opportunities, such as out-of-school-time programs targeting youth and early-childhood education programs. In this paper, we review the costs, benefits, and costs and benefits relative to one another for one alternative type of investment: youth programs that are…

This article presents evidence from a national evaluation of the effects of 21st Century Community Learning Center after-school programs. The study was conducted in 12 school districts and 26 after-school centers, at which 2,308 elementary school students who were interested in attending a center were randomly assigned either to the treatment or…

To determine the status of latchkey programs in the United States, a questionnaire requesting information on actual or pending latchkey programs and legislation was sent to each state superintendent of schools and the secretary of the education committee of the state legislatures in the 50 states. A content analysis of the questionnaire responses…

This guide provides information on the benefits of afterschool programs and the qualities of good after school programs. Afterschool programs reduce the risk of juvenile delinquency, substance use, and violent crime victimization. Children involved in quality programs decrease their chances of dropping out, earn higher grades, and develop better…

The conference proceedings presented in this report document successful strategies for meeting the child care needs of school-age children and stimulating new ways of thinking about the provision of school-age child care. The first part of the report gives a historical perspective of Maryland's activity in school-age child care. The second part…

Describes Being in Charge, a guidance unit designed to provide intermediate and middle-grade children with the skills to cope more effectively with taking care of themselves while home alone. Discusses format of the sessions, objective and content for each of the six sessions, and evaluates the program as implemented with fifth and sixth graders…

The purpose of this practicum was to develop an on-site training program for latchkey family day care home providers. Practicum objectives were to (1) develop a pilot project involving three family day care homes in Pinellas County, Florida; (2) assist caregivers in meeting the annual training requirements; (3) design and implement, on-site, a…

This document presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Growin' to Win Project, an after-school and summer program targeted at elementary and middle school aged youth at high risk of substance abuse and gang involvement. Growin' to Win is an expansion of a model latchkey program piloted at two Tacoma (Washington) schools in 1990. The…

To increase educators' awareness of the plight of latchkey children, this study reviewed literature concerning the negative and positive effects experienced by latchkey children. Also examined were possible solutions to the problem through techniques, guidelines, and existing programs. The first section of the review provides 12 annotated…

After-school programs have the potential to keep children safe and out of trouble and can help to improve the academic performance of the increasing numbers of participating children. This report presents positive research on after-school programs and examples illustrating the potential of high-quality after-school activities to keep children…

In this article, the authors consider the conditions under which participation in organized out-of-school activities contributes to positive development. They center their discussion on what is known about the "processes" in organized activities that affect the development of young persons. By using the term "organized activities", they wish to…

This document explains the advantages of afterschool programs for students and describes the components that make them successful. The major benefits from such programs are increased safety for children, a reduction in risk taking among children participating, and improved learning. Among the elements that characterize high quality afterschool…

This report on young adolescents 10 to l5 years old, who are on their own from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. discusses after-school programs, barriers to providing a broader array of programs, and strategies for decision making about after-school opportunities for latchkey children. Explored are the nature and extent of the problem, its multiple causes and…

First authorized in 1994, the 21st-Century Community Learning Centers program supports after-school programs in approximately 7,500 rural and inner-city public schools . A distinguishing characteristic of 21st-Century programs is the inclusion of academic activities. This report presents the first-year findings from an evaluation of the program.…