All children need a safe place to be after school with caring, responsible adults and engaging activities that connect each child to their school, family and community. One method of providing this is through an after-school program. After-school programs are any organized programs that invite youth to participate after the traditional school day. Some programs are run by an elementary school and others by externally funded nonprofit or commercial organizations, such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, or even a faith-based program run by a church. These after-school programs for youth may take place within a school building or elsewhere in the community, such as a community center, library, or church. After-school programs are aimed at school-age children and are mainly concentrated in the age group from five years old to early adolescents. These programs take place in the afternoons of school days, helping parents take care of their children before they finish work. Several factors have energized the after-school movement. Parents were asking for help caring for their children between the end of school and the time they came home from work. These demands have grown as more healthcare workers have entered the workforce and large numbers of young people have been left without adult supervision during after-school hours. According to Apsler (2009), approximately eight million children between the ages of 5 and 14 were often unsupervised after school. It is currently estimated that over two-thirds of school-age children have had no parental supervision after school. According to Apsler (2009), this type of assistance requested by many parents reflected a growing emphasis on academic achievement and responsibility, due in part to No The child left B... in the center of the paper... and will be able to choose how, when , what and with whom to engage, they will be much more likely to have fun and behave cooperatively. Works Cited Afterschool Alliance. Retrieved July 14, 2011. http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/aboutUs.cfmApsler, R. (2009). After-school programs for adolescents: A review of evaluation research. Adolescence, 44(173), 1-19. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Carter, C., Meckes, L., Pritchard, L., Swensen, S., Wittman, P., & Velde, B. (2004). The Friendship Club: An after-school program for children with Asperger's syndrome. Family and Community Health, 27(2), 143-150. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Strive to reduce youth volicen everywhere. Retrieved July 14, 2011. http://www.safeyouth.gov/Pages/StryveError.aspx?oldUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esafeyouth%2Egov%2Fscripts%2Ffacts%2Fafterschool%2Easp