Before- and after-school hours key to the nurturing of children

How to keep children occupied and engaged in worthwhile after-school pursuits is becoming a major focus of study at the Harvard Family Research Project at the Graduate School of Education. The project is analyzing existing research while constructing a database that will be useful for policy-makers, public and private funders, and those who run after-school programs in the years to come. With an increase in the number of working moms, a subsequent explosion in the number of so-called "latch-key kids," and a growing demand for programs to address the changing situation, HFRP has zeroed in on the after-school issue. The challenge of creating productive out-of-school opportunities for children has also hit the public policy radar screen in Washington. There are several reasons why, including new welfare reform rules that have spurred thousands of women back to work.