A new Child Trends brief finds that youth who have not participated in out-of-school time programs are significantly more likely than are their participating peers to live in an unsupportive neighborhood; to spend more than two hours a day watching TV or playing video games; and to have parents who are in poor health, who don't exercise, and who have less than a high school education.

From recruitment to ongoing training and troubleshooting, this Child Trends brief argues that good management is key to maintaining well-trained and well-prepared frontline staff in after-school programs. Good directors create a positive climate and supportive environment for participants and staff and they use relevant data to set new goals.

In this analysis Public/Private Ventures found that teens who participated more often each week in their Boys and Girls Club showed positive change on 15 of 31 measures. More important than specific programming, interview data suggest that the overall Club environment -- the safe place it provides and supportive interactions with adults and peers were crucial in helping promote teens' positive development.

The Harvard Family Research Project reports on how out-of-school complementary learning, particularly for children in low-income families, is a key component to help students gain the skills necessary for success in the 21st century.

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.