Parents are welcomed and appreciated in New York City after-school programs. TASC after-school programs make efforts to keep in touch with parents and increase their involvement through training and hiring appropriate staff; by creating ways for staff to communicate with families at dismissal; and by inviting parents and family members into programs.
Parents can play multiple roles within after-school, depending on their interests and time. All after-school program directors have moments when they could use more hands and eyes. Parents can assist programs as chaperones for trips, help at special events, or coordinate a holiday celebration. Parents who put their special skills to work in such ways as creating costumes for shows, or who visit periodically to read with kids, are among programs’ greatest assets.
Many programs have parent advisory committees. These meet regularly to review programs and bring new ideas. Other sites rely on core groups of parents in a less formal way - bouncing ideas off frequent volunteers or holding periodic meetings open to any parents who are able to attend. TASC programs strive to reflect the ideas and desires of involved parents. This leads to program improvements, increased program satisfaction, higher attendance by children and greater parental investment.
The TASC Information Kit includes program and research highlights, background on what we do, why after-school is vital, participant profiles, and a closer look at our program model.
