That's the real problem. While critics don't question the need for children to be taken care of, they say it's inaccurate to portray after-school programs as a universal panacea. But she questions the use of public funding in the enterprise. Ms. Olsen asks. After-school programs should not be seen as replacing school or family participation, says Patrice DiNatale, principal of the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Parents are full partners.
They must continue to be interested in their children's education. They must have high expectations for their children, nurture them, and most importantly be advocates for them. That's a big help for his mom, who's not fluent in English. And Tim Timson, there to pick up his second-grade son, Tim Jr., says he appreciates the program's racial and economic diversity almost as much as its extended hours.