"Afterschool"*
The time of day when school is out
and adults are still working.
At PlusTime NH, we talk about serving youth and families "afterschool", (one word), because this is the word that has been adopted nationally to refer to the time of day when children are most vulnerable.
On school days, the afterschool hours (between 3pm and 6pm) are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and sex. In fact, these behaviors nearly triple afterschool.
In NH, an estimated 23% of K-12 youth go home alone every afternoon.
Evaluations prove that afterschool programs keep kids safe, help working families and inspire learning.
Want to learn more about afterschool and it's impact on child safety, wellness, educational outcomes and emotional adjustment? Please visit www.afterschoolalliance.org for additional research and resources.
*Also known as "out-of-school time", "school-aged child care", "expanded learning opportunities" or "enrichment opportunities." Whatever you call it, we hope you'll agree that children deserve to be safe, supervised and supported afterschool.
