While the evidence on the impact of after-school programs on academic and other outcomes is unclear, kids who do not attend at all - some 7 million unsupervised children - tend to have more academic and behavioral problems, reports MDRC in this one-page summary of the evaluation research.

Hosted by the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University, the Summer Changes Everything (April 16-17, 2009 in Chicago) covers how to build and strengthen summer programs. Preconference cost: $175

A recent NACCRRA survey found that parents look for quality when they seek child care, but until now it has been hard to find out if a program has been inspected and licensed. A research study in Florida has found that quality of care, especially for low-income children, improved when licensing and other standards were available online. Check the NACCRRA map to find inspection information for a program in your state.

Zero to Three offers a searchable database with information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families.

Kids’ Carpentry is a year-round after school program designed especially for boys and girls, kindergarten through the sixth grade. Since 1982 we have been teaching kids the safe use of woodworking hand tools. Children work together and independently on boats, trucks, bird feeders, clocks, doll furniture, airplanes, games and many other projects. In addition to the fun these kids have, they also gain quality experiences in measuring, applied mathematics such as fractions, and hands-on experience with a variety of carpentry tools. By visualizing, planning and building projects, children develop valuable abstract reasoning capabilities and fine motor skills. Children can select from a wide range of project choices supplied by the teacher and are also encouraged to design and build based on their own needs and imaginations. Our Socratic style of teaching empowers the children to become good problem-solvers and independent thinkers!

This Child Trends brief distills lessons from roundtable discussions for improving the reach and effectiveness of New Mexico's school-based services like after-school programs and health services.

Funders and program planners want to know: What does it cost to operate a high-quality after-school or summer program? This study answers that question, discovering that there is no "right" number. Cost varies substantially, depending on the characteristics of the participants, the goals of the program, who operates it and where it is located. Based on detailed cost data collected from 111 out-of-school-time programs in six cities, this report, along with an online calculator, provides cost averages and ranges for many common types of programs.

Engaging young teens in quality out-of-school time programs is no easy feat. Cypress Hills-East New York, a Beacon Center located in Brooklyn, has developed a strategy for recruiting and enrolling youth ages 9 to 14 for its school-year program. What works best? The Youth Development Institute shares some of the secrets of success.