The Impact of after-School Programs on the Behavioral Outcomes of Children with Single Mothers: Findings from Fragile Families and Children Wellbeing Study

Background:Numerous studies have found the positive impact of formal after-school programs (ASPs) on disadvantaged children. However, most studies have designed their own ASPs or targeted specialized ASPs implemented in several public schools and have focused on low-income children from two-parent households. There has been a dearth of research examining both general ASPs implemented in U.S. public schools and, specifically, the outcomes of children with single working mothers. In particular, outcomes driven by national data will help educators and policy makers capture current situations of ASPs and offer more critical and applicable information on how to improve the quality of ASPs in order to help the most economically disadvantaged children. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the behavioral areas of 9-year-old children with single working mothers participating in ASPs in the U.S. 

Method: We used year-9 data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The analytical sample for this study consisted of 3878 children from single mother households in the United States. The dependent variables included a child’s delinquent behavior which was measured at year-9 by the aggressive subscale. The independent variable was the child’s participation in ASPs (school-based and community-based). Social-demographic characteristics were mothers’ age, mothers’ education level, race, relationships with fathers and mothers, and states. Both multiple hierarchical regression analyses and Analysis of Variance were used for analyses. 

Results:  There were significantly negative relationships between the programs and child’s delinquent behavior (β= -.076, p<.001) as well as positive relaitonships between mother’s age and child’s delinquent behavior (β= .016, p<.001), between mother’s education level and child’s delinquent behavior (β= .178, p<.001), and between relationships with mother and the child’s biological father and child’s delinquent behavior (β= .044, p<.001). These results showed that children’s formal ASP experience positively affected their behavior areas. 

Implication: Even though the study is cross-sectional, findings from a large sample collected from U.S. states are able to offer two recommendations. First, the specific finding of a positive association between formal ASPs and low-income children’s behavioral areas leads to the conclusion that ASPs effectively help children who are more likely to have behavioral problems due to the absence of two parents from the home. As a result, educators and social workers should recommend low-income children be more involved in formal ASPs under adults’ supervision. Involvement in these programs will decrease children’s time at home alone or with other friends negatively influencing each other. As a result, these children can avoid negative situations, such as those involving illegal behaviors or gang involvement. Second, state and federal governments need to provide low-income single working mothers sufficient subsidies to encourage them to enroll their children in ASP settings. Paying tuition for enrollment in formal childcare arrangements is economically burdensome for low-income families. Hence, offering economically disadvantaged families public welfare assistance not only helps them secure their financial wellbeing but also leads to improved behavioral areas for their children.