Some children don't have a nutritious breakfast every morning at home. Some children don't have a snack or even a hot meal for dinner when they get home from school. Some children arrive home to empty houses, having no supervision for hours on end. These children are at risk. We might consider children at risk when they are living in poverty/low-income community, come from broken-families, has a disability, or has been abused. What these children are at risk of, is not progressing and succeeding in their lives.
Fortunately, there are programs set up for these children, and all other children as well. Before school programs allows children to arrive earlier to school, and provides them with breakfast. When school is dismissed, after school programs give children a safe and accommodating place to spend their afternoon time. These programs have been seen to improve behavior of children in school along with improvements in their grades. Adding to that, most programs include extracurricular activities which has been seen to deter kids from using drugs, having sex, and from developing violent behavior. Keeping children busy in after school programs avoids them being out in the community during the hours when juvenile crime is at its peak.
Most after school programs are structured similarly. There is a time to work on homework, time for relaxing and snacking, along with time for activities and fun games. Children are provided with mentors and tutors at these programs so any difficulties they are having with their school work can be dealt with while they are there. Also, being there with many other kids helps ripen their social development skills. For more on how after school programs better a child's development you can click here.
Included here are some after school programs offered in and around the Boston area as an example of what types of programs are available.
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