They mitigate the family's stress by offering support. After-school programs are not just for kids. They're for families as well. They provide care for kids after school in cases where parents are working. They address inadequate opportunities for health-promoting activities. A lot of kids want to participate in sports or leadership programs, and their parents can't afford to send them to those programs.
All of the programs of the Ottawa Boys and Girls Club, for instance, are free. Some of our clubs are like that, and if they're not free, they're barrier-free.