DHR’s afterschool programs prove effective

October 15, 2007

ATLANTA (GA) – According to the Georgia Afterschool Investment Council, over 70 percent of Georgia’s school-aged children lack organized adult supervision after school. The Georgia Department of Human Resources, since 2005, has been working to close that gap by establishing afterschool programs for youth in urban and rural environments. An independent evaluation of DHR’s Afterschool Services Program was recently conducted by Georgia State University and shows that the statewide program proves promising.

Evaluators conducted 41 site visits throughout Georgia, observed programs and services in real time, interviewed staff and other stakeholders, and conducted a youth survey in which more than 2,300 youth participated, and a parent survey that netted nearly 1,200 responses. In summary, evaluators reported that site visits, interviews and surveys show evidence that providers are implementing the programs to the best of their ability and capacity and engaging youth in a range of activities to support physical, social and academic growth in development. In addition the report finds that youth are gaining a great measure of satisfaction and benefit from being with other young people and from extra academic assistance that instructors and mentors provide.

"It is our goal to make Georgia’s afterschool programs a model pr ogram and we’re excited to know that we’re moving in the right direction," said Mary Dean Harvey, director of the Division of Family and Children Services, which administers DHR’s Afterschool Services Program. "We know that these programs work and we will continue our efforts to expand, add more sites and serve more children and families."

The report highlighted that:

Those who attend the programs and services have a positive attitude about school;

Most youth who participated in the programs reported spending between two and four hours per week on homework and an average of three hours each week in leisurely reading;

The vast majority of teenage youth reported that they have never used illegal drugs; 10 percent reported that they had used illegal drugs;

The positive and diverse relationships between youth and program staff contribute significantly to the quality of the program reporting that program staff often acted as teacher, disciplinarian, mentor and friend in supporting the students’ needs.

Most program staff reported that they were meeting or exceeding the service levels originally proposed and that the Afterschool Services Program’s most effective partnerships are with the local school systems because of space, materials, transportation and library services, and the Boys and Girls Clubs because of their wide range of activities.

Nearly 74 percent of parents reported spending at least one hour per week with their child in going over homework or helping with homework. More than half reported that they have attended or plan to attend a parent/teacher conference or a school open house.

Only in its second year, the program serves more than 16,000 youth annually ages 6 to 19 from low-to-moderate income families. For more information about DHR’s Afterschool Services Program and its partnering organizations call 404-657-4718.

For information contact:
Beverly Jones, 404-657-1387
[email protected]