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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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After-school, Summer Programs Focus on Food, Fitness

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Friday, March 13, 2015   

SEATTLE - Some parents worry about what their kids are doing when they're unsupervised in the hours after school - but what they're not doing may also be of concern.

According to a new report, for exercise and healthy food, an after-school program is a much better choice than leaving kids to fend for themselves.

Janet Schmidt, program and policy officer for School's Out Washington, said the programs outside the classroom often are making up for the health, nutrition, sports and physical-education classes that some schools have chosen to cut.

"So, a lot of after-school programs have stepped up and really started looking at making sure that they offer a significant amount of outdoor time each day," she said, "as well as offering healthy snacks after school."

The report from the Afterschool Alliance found three in four Washington parents surveyed are happy with the amount and variety of physical activity in the after-school programs they've chosen, and two-thirds are satisfied that the food served is healthy.

Across the state, however, there is a shortage of programs to keep kids moving and learning outside the school day. Schmidt said it's especially noticeable in the summer months, so now is the time to find them.

"We certainly hope parents get their kids signed up early for those programs," she said, "and that they're really asking those questions - about how much outside time that kids are going to have, how active are they going to be, and even what types of nutritional and health components are they going to be offering."

She said many parents aren't aware there are national standards for nutrition and exercise for after-school programs. The standards include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in a partial-day program, and 60 minutes in a full-day program.

The report, "Kids On the Move," is online at afterschoolnetwork.org.


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