Providing High-Quality Inclusive Out-of-School Time Programs in Rural Areas

Abstract

This chapter presents information about out of school time (OST) programs that offer a supervised place for children to go after school and when school is not in session. These programs are vitally important in rural areas where after-school activities are limited, but there are many considerations that impact access to these programs for families. This is particularly true for families of children with disabilities. While disability laws provide some rules for OST program access for children with disabilities, inclusion is not always an easy road for programs in rural areas. Neither is recruiting and providing services to students and families from other marginalized groups. In this chapter, OST programs are addressed in relation to these topics, with a discussion of the challenges and recommendations for addressing these difficulties so that all students might benefit.