Research

This journal explores the impact of the summer and when public support for children declines on young people.

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117944414/grouphome/home.html

This report finds that afterschool providers strongly support including arts programming in their afterschool curricula but also found a scarcity of resources and time to implement such programs.

http://www.AmericansForTheArts.org/pdf/networks/arts_education/petersona...

This brief by Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) offers an overview of the features of high quality after school settings, including an examination of key research on links between program quality and developmental outcomes.

http://www.researchconnections.org/location/ccrca12576

This report includes detailed information on the welfare of children and families. Including topics as family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.

http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/index.asp

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement promotes research on the civic and political engagement of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25. It is also a clearinghouse for relevant information and scholarship.

www.civicyouth.org

The After School Project is a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that focuses on bringing together youth from low-income neighborhoods with responsible adults through OST programs. Their website provides access to information on the three Project sites as well as reports, papers, and related resources on policy and research.

www.theafterschoolproject.org

This Child Trends brief provides a basic review of outcome evaluations, discusses why they are important and when they are useful, and discusses ways they can be implemented in out-of-school time programs. The brief also highlights the experience of an out-of-school time program that has conducted an outcome evaluation and provides a list of helpful evaluation resources. To view this brief visit
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2008_01_07_OutcomeEvaluat...

Children now recently released this publication outlining the status of child health and development in California by assigning letter grades to key individual determinants, such as health insurance, education, and obesity. The report outlines the impact of such factors on financial cost and future social issues. It also outlines areas in which progress can be made in 2008. To view this study, visit http://publications.childrennow.org/publications/invest/reportcard_2008....

The updated issue brief provides more recent information on the current challenges and opportunities facing rural programs in addition to examples of programs that are successfully addressing the challenges of transportation, poverty, teen suicide, alcoholism and more. To view this brief, visit

http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/issue_briefs/issue_rural_4.pdf

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) guide is designed to acquaint California leaders with different strategies to obtain the maximum federal nutrition funds. The guide explains the basics of the child nutrition programs, offers suggestions on which nutrition programs make the most sense in which circumstances, and provides tips on how to operate successful nutrition programs. To view this guide, click on the link provided
http://www.frac.org/CA_Guide/index.html