October 16, 2007
Contact: Curt Stewart 801.526.4315
Salt Lake City— The Department of Workforce Services is
proud to announce its support of Lights On After School! Month in Utah. Gov.
Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., has signed a declaration declaring October 2007 Lights
On After School! Month. Fifty-four afterschool programs in Utah are registered
for this year’s celebration.
Lights On Afterschool! is celebrated nationwide to call attention to the importance
of afterschool programs for America’s children, families and communities.
Afterschool programs keep children safe, help working families and inspire learning.
They provide opportunities to help young people develop into successful adults.
The National Institute of Out-of-School Time has determined that children who
attend high quality after-school programs have better conflict resolution skills,
emotional adjustment, peer relations, grades and conduct in school compared
to their peers who are not in afterschool programs. They also spend more time
in learning opportunities, academic activities, and enrichment activities and
spend less time watching television than their peers.
In Utah, there are more 318,000 school-age children, about a quarter of whom
care for themselves after school. The number of school-aged children in Utah
is expected to increase by 24 percent by 2014 and 39 percent by 2030.
“Quality, affordable afterschool opportunities are critical to the continued
success of Utah families,” said Caroline Kueneman, afterschool program
specialist for DWS’s Office of Work & Family Life.
The Office of Work & Family Life provides information, resources and support
to help improve the economic stability and well being of Utah children and families.
The Office supports families by helping them access quality afterschool programs
and providing grants to 53 Youth Connections after-school programs serving more
than 5,000 at-risk youth annually. In addition, the Kindergarten Match Program
funds 12 afterschool programs. In total, about 8,400 children are served by
these DWS efforts.
For more information, please contact Caroline Kueneman at 526-4343 or ckueneman@utah.gov
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