Extension-Supported School-Age Care Programs Benefit Youth

Since 1988, the Cooperative Extension Service has devoted significant resources to helping improve the quality of school-age care programs. This study was conducted to determine if Extension-supported school-age care programs benefited youth. The quasi-experimental design involved three North Carolina schools: K-2, K-8, and middle school. The results were mixed. Principals, teachers, and parents indicated few significant changes in the behavior of youth involved in the school-age care programs. However, school-age care staff indicated several academic and social behavioral changes in the youth. Recommendations include more work to design specific evaluation instruments for specific respondents, only involve respondents who have significant interaction with the youth, and a longitudinal study longer than one year. With GPRA (Government Performance Results Act, 1993) standards mandated by Congress, it is imperative that Extension identify school-age care program impacts that can be measured to justify the resources devoted to this important program.