Based on findings that high-quality early care and education, youth development programs for after-school and summer hours, child abuse and neglect prevention, and intervention programs can help to prevent violence crime, this document presents a violence prevention plan for the schools and youth of Pennsylvania. Four actions are proposed to…

The MLE Learning Center, a publicly funded day care center and after-school program in Brooklyn, New York, helps children develop awareness of a global community by using local resources to teach the children about the rainforest. (LB)

Describes the Hilltop Emergent Literacy Project (HELP) in Toledo (Ohio), an afterschool educational program for poor, mostly African American, students in kindergarten through grade 3, and evaluates its effects on 12 kindergartners in comparison with a control group of 12 kindergartners. Program effectiveness is supported. (SLD)

After-school program participation is associated with higher grades and test scores, especially for low-income students. Programs come in three types: school-age childcare, youth development, and educational after-school programs. Few programs meet students' needs, due to inadequate funding, poorly trained leadership, transient staff,…

Over the past decade, "out-of-school time" and "after-school programs" have been identified as objects of research, funding, and policy initiatives across federal and state agencies as well as public, private, and nonprofit foundations. The increasing attention to and funding of programs that engage youth outside of the formal…

This document is a handbook for helping children develop self-esteem through encouraging creative behavior in after school day care. The handbook is meant to be a resource for after school day care providers. Each chapter is structured to describe a creative behavior concept or strategy, explain how and why it works, and when it can best be…

The five chapters in this handbook, intended for parents of children entering kindergarten for the first time, offer suggestions about how parents can help their child get ready for school and make starting kindergarten a successful and happy event. Chapter 1 describes when learning begins and offers tips for helping children who are starting…

This 1996 national survey tracked state efforts to create comprehensive career development and training systems for practitioners working in early care and education settings. Mail surveys were sent to 250 key informants and leaders nationwide. Part 1, "Introduction," states the goals of the study. Part 2, "Waves of Change,"…

This report describes the role of the California Department of Education (CDE) in the administration of a federal block grant to provide child care and development services to disadvantaged children in California. Part 1 outlines the legal assurances that CDE has provided to the U.S. Department of Education in regard to the administration of child…

Child care services in Sweden are distinguished by a high standard of quality and by the fundamental principle that they exist for all children. This governmental fact sheet provides useful facts and figures on Swedish child care law and government policy. It is divided into 16 sections covering: (1) rights of children and their families; (2)…

The Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development undertook a 2-year project to assess non-school programs offered by various community-based youth organizations. This project included focus group interviews with youth about their current activities and preferences for after-school activities. Sixteen focus groups were conducted in the metropolitan…

This paper reports on a study of the Houston (Texas) Independent School District's Lighted Schoolhouse Program, which is designed to serve as an intermediary between homeless children and community service agencies, to provide a range of after-school activities for unattended children, and to provide opportunities for participation of families and…

Project Success consists of after-school, weekend, and summer educational programs geared toward minority and disadvantaged students to increase their numbers seeking postsecondary education from the Meadville, Pennsylvania area. The project is funded primarily through the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, whose administration is committed to…

Youth programs that meet during the out-of-school hours, particularly those offered by organizations that have historically collaborated with their community members to support their interests and meet their needs, are in a unique position. These programs have the potential for and a history of engaging young people in experiences that can…