During the school year, more than 15 million children in the U.S. are left unsupervised after 3 p.m. In California, 24% of children are left alone after school, according to the Afterschool Alliance.

 “When the school bell rings, learning does not have to end,” Christopher Jefferson, regional child care director at the Culver-Palms Family YMCA. “The Culver-Palms after-school programs are a great way to keep children and teens not only safe, but engaged in fun and productive activities.”

Jefferson says that attending after-school programs can have many lasting positive effects on youth, including the development of interpersonal and social skills, better academic performance and the development of habits that can lead to positive behavior, better health and educational achievement.

The YMCA’s after-school programs, he says, offer enrichment through arts, music, physical education, sports and nutrition. Children receive homework assistance and can engage in sports, games, physical activities, artistic expression, drama and more.

According to Jefferson, YMCAs have been engaging children in after-school programs for more than 50 years and have impacted the lives of more than 100,000 children at nearly 10,000 sites across the country. After-school programming at the Y focuses on the holistic development of youth, promoting creativity, a love for learning, academic success, friendship and character-building.  Financial assistance is available to those in need.

Further information about Culver-Palms Family YMCA’s after-school program is available through Jefferson at (310) 390-3604 or christopherjefferson@ymcala.org.