Thirty years of research shows the difference family involvement makes in children's learning. Family involvement in after-school programs is just as important. The success of an after-school program depends on both family and community involvement. Many after-school programs depend on and draw upon parent and community volunteers.
Research shows that when families are involved in schools, students do better.
How to integrate parent involvement into after-school programs. To help meet our national education goals, parents must be involved in their children s learning both during and after school. Family involvement is very much in line with the 21 st Century Community Learning Centers program s goals of providing a variety of academic and enrichment activities to students and parents in the communities which they serve. Programs designed to include families and children in the planning draw greater support from participants and their families and from the community at large. These programs also tend to be more fun, culturally relevant, and linked to activities that capture children's and adolescents' interests.