PRINTER'S NO. 2498
No. 412 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY RHOADES, OCTOBER 7, 2008
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, OCTOBER 7, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating October 16, 2008, as "Lights on Afterschool! Day" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, More than 28 million children in the United States
4 have parents who work outside the home, and 14.3 million
5 children have no place to go after school; and
6 WHEREAS, Nearly 1.8 million school-age children and youth in
7 this Commonwealth have both parents in the work force; and
8 WHEREAS, Twenty-six percent of children are responsible for
9 taking care of themselves after school; and
10 WHEREAS, Many of these children are unsupervised on average
11 20 to 25 hours per week; and
12 WHEREAS, Out-of-school hours represent the single biggest
13 block of time for children and youth and a key time during the
14 development of children into adolescents and adolescents into
15 adults; and
16 WHEREAS, After-school programs provide safe, challenging,
17 engaging and fun learning experiences to help children and youth
1 develop academic, cultural, emotional, physical and social
2 skills; and
3 WHEREAS, After-school programs support working families by
4 ensuring that their children are safe and productive during out-
5 of-school hours; and
6 WHEREAS, Research illustrates that high-quality programming
7 improves student achievement, reduces crime by and against
8 children and youth and promotes positive social development; and
9 WHEREAS, After-school programs build stronger communities by
10 involving parents, business leaders and students and adult
11 volunteers in the lives of our young people, thereby promoting
12 positive relationships among youth, families and adults; and
13 WHEREAS, "Lights on Afterschool! Day" is a national
14 celebration of after-school programs on October 16, 2008, that
15 promotes the critical importance of quality after-school
16 programs in the lives of children, their families and their
17 communities; therefore be it
18 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate October 16, 2008, as
19 "Lights on Afterschool! Day" in Pennsylvania.
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