Attending to the needs of working parents. Good programs are designed with sensitivity to the schedules and requirements of working parents. By providing structured enriching learning opportunities, after-school programs can improve children s academic performance and meet their social, emotional and physical development needs. Providing engaging opportunities to grow and learn. Quality programs allow children to follow their own interests and learn in different ways.
Programming reflects the needs, interests, and abilities of children.
Challenging curriculum in an enriching environment. Successful programs make the curriculum challenging, but not overwhelming. A challenging curriculum accommodates individual student needs, coordinates with in-school instruction, and focuses on more than remedial work. Coordinating learning with the regular school day. Good programs provide a continuity of learning for students through coordination with the regular school day and communication with teachers and staff.