Your child’s education has been a priority since day one. But what happens before and after school? Knowing what’s best for your child in a before and after school program will help you feel confident that you are reinforcing your child’s education and ensuring that your child is safe, well-fed, and focused on activities that promote exercise and learning. These are all elements of a quality after school program.
Things to Look For in a Before and After School Program
If you have a child who graduated from Kid’s Corner’s preschool program, then you already know about our nurturing and educational environment. But other families with kids in K-6 who need help before and after school can benefit from our services as well. So, what are some things to look for in a before and after school program? Here are a few:
- Safe, reliable, on-time transportation to and from their school. It doesn’t relieve your stress unless you’re 100% confident that your child is safely on their way to/from school and on-time. It’s also important to your child’s stress level to know somebody will be there for them.
- Nutritious Meals. Breakfast starts the day and nutritious snacks keep the brain going. You don’t want your child filled with junk and sugar that’ll hurt their attention span or ability to focus. For that matter, they also need to be able to unwind and relax.
- Fun, Educational Activities. We need to stimulate the brain and exercise the body. The right combination of fun and learning in before and after school activities will set your child up for a successful day at school.
- Dialed into the local school calendar. Half days? Teachers’ days? Holidays? Your after school program needs to know when to pick up your child.
Why is after school programs important?
We know. You have to work and need a caring place for your child before and after school. But shouldn’t a good before and after school program have some real benefits for your child as well? Check out these benefits of an after school program:
- It gets children accustomed to a routine.
- It creates a consistent community for them.
- It keeps children healthy and fit.
- It provides additional opportunities to learn social skills.
- It gives them dedicated time to do homework (but that’s optional, as some parents want that time together).
- Children learn independence and self-confidence.
- It can improve their academic performance.
- It creates a sense of belonging.
- It can improve classroom behavior and attendance.
- It provides a safe, active environment for your children.
Conclusion
Enroll your child in the right before and after school program. It’ll help relieve your stress and make sure your child benefits from the program. A program that picks your child up on time, feeds them nutritious meals, and provides just the right activities will help them build confidence, excel academically, and so much more. If you have any questions about the before and after school program at Kid’s Corner, give us a call at one of our East Valley campuses (Mesa: (480) 267-9419, Gilbert: (480) 267-9427) or come in for a tour!
