In June 2021, families were invited to share their experiences with before-and-after school programs in the Let’s Connect Family Survey. We want to thank the 2,054 individuals who took the time to participate. We use this information to inform training opportunities for educators, program material purchases and to develop policies and procedures.
The Extended Day Program
On this page, we will be looking at the responses in relation to the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) Extended Day Program. The following information details the feedback received from the 93 families whose children attended the WRDSB Extended Day Program.
Features of a High Quality Program that are Important to Families
How do you know a program is high quality? Families were asked to select as many items as they wished from a list of program features. Families were also provided with the opportunity to share their ideas about other features that were not listed.
How Families Know a Program is High Quality
Meeting the Needs of Children and Families
To help us understand if the Extended Day programs are meeting the needs of the children and families they serve, we asked families to answer a number of questions. This is what we heard:
The educators respond to my child’s individual needs
The educators support my child to play and solve problems with other children
My child received the right special needs supports at the right time to participate in their program
The educators value and respect differences in beliefs, values and culture among families in the program
Communication Between Families and Staff
To get a sense of the kind of communication families experienced with their before-and-after school programs, families were asked to rate how much they agreed with the following statements. This is what we heard:
I feel comfortable talking to the educators about my questions, concerns, and my child’s learning
The documentation and communication from the educators help me to understand how and what my child is learning
Families’ Access to Before-and-After School Programs
To better understand families’ needs around before-and-after school care, families were asked to share their experiences and perspectives on the following questions about accessing before-and-after school programs. This is what we heard:
When Families Need Full days of Programming at Their Child’s School
- 31% responded “professional development days”
- 28% responded “March Break”
- 21% responded “Winter Break”
- 20% responded “Summer”
I secured a space in the before-and-after school program when I needed it
The Impact of Before-and-After School Programs on Families
To better understand how before-and-after school programs impacted the lives of children and their families, families were asked to share their experiences and perspectives on the following questions. This is what we heard:
The program my child is in has had a positive impact on my family’s day-to-day life
Strengths of Before-and-After School Programs
Families were asked to provide their perspectives on the one thing that the before-and-after school program does really well.
- 28% responded “fun and engaging for child”
- 25% responded “safe and caring environment”
- 11% responded “various structured and unstructured activities”
- 9% responded “welcoming and inclusive”
- 6% responded “snack/food options”
- 5% responded “peer interaction”
- 3% responded “communication”
- 3% responded “organized”
- 2% responded “extending child’s learning”
- 2% responded “general positive feedback”
- 2% responded “health and safety guidelines”
- 2% responded “consistency”
- 2% responded “program availability”
- 2% responded “qualified staff”
For more information and details, you can view the Let’s Connect! Family Survey June 2021 report.
Tags: Hearing From You · Let's Connect · Survey · Survey Results
