Afterschool Programs Advantages And Disadvantages

High­quality afterschool programs provide positive advantages for youth including strengths in academic performances, behavior, and overall health and nutrition. After school programs serve children of all ages and focus on mentoring and youth development. Presently, nearly one in four families currently have a child enrolled in an afterschool program. The participation in afterschool programs has been steadily expanding, rising by nearly two million children in the last five years. Eighteen percent of children depend on afterschool programs to provide a secure and encouraging environment, stimulate learning, and fill the gap between when the school day ends and when the workday ends. In communities across the United States, it has been proven that 11.3 million children are without supervision between the hours of three and six p.m. Thus, the need for afterschool programs is continually increasing; therefore, it is important that as a community the focus on the implementation and improvement of these programs are a priority so that children participating in these programs receive the best care and attention. Additionally, many children who participate in afterschool programs benefit in several ways. Although some parents are uncomfortable with enrolling their children in afterschool programs,

Remarkable gains in math and reading test scores have been proven for children who participated in high­quality afterschool programs. Better attitudes toward school, higher school attendance rates, less disciplinary action, lower dropout rates, better performance in school, and deeper engagement in learning are all also academic goals being reached due to these programs. The use of practicing skills hands­on and enjoyable activities are the reason the academic performance seems to be so well. It can be difficult for a parent to sit down at home with their child and help with hours of homework.