School is out? What will kids do?

Policymakers and the public have become increasingly concerned about how young people spend their out-of-school time. Too much custodial day care inhibits preschool development and school readiness. Lack of after-school care sends too many young children with latchkeys to empty homes. For older youths with nothing to do after school, there is frequently mischief to be had with friends including drugs, casual sex, and petty crime. Worst of all, a lack of enriching and fun activities for kids of any age when they are out of school stifles the development of a range of competencies all children need to develop en route to adulthood.2 In this era of two-salary or single-headed families, challenges separate kids of any means from appropriate out-of-school experiences. But research has shown that these challenges are by far the greatest for children living in poverty.