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Critical Hours

A partnership of The Children's Initiative, the County of San Diego and community collaboratives to provide after-school programs for middle school youth.

The Critical Hours Program is a collaborative effort of public and private agencies. Their goal is to provide middle school age youth with on-going prevention and intervention programs to encourage positive alternatives to crime and at-risk behaviors.

History:bakery_kids

  • In 1997, the San Diego County Suicide and Homicide Audit Committee findings indicate young people engage in high risk activities at higher rates during the "critical hours" of 2:00pm-6:00pm when no adults are present in their lives.
  • The Children's Initiative, partnering with County Supervisors Ron Roberts and Greg Cox, garners financial commitment and support from the County for middle school "Critical Hours" after school programs.
  • The County then funded 21 "Critical Hours" program sites to serve more than 2000 children, and later increases the number of "Critical Hours" programs to 41 sites. Since 1997, more than 32,000 middle school youth have participated in Critical Hours after school programs.

Programs in 2002:

  • 45 Critical Hours programs are operational at more than 50 sites throughout San Diego County.
  • There are 24 lead agencies with more than 250 collaborative partners.
  • Programs are implemented by community collaboratives.

Communities Served:

  • In 1997, communities throughout the county with high incidences of youth crime and at-risk behaviors were encouraged to apply for and received Critical Hours grants.
  • Since 1998, Critical Hours has been expanding to include all communities throughout San Diego County.
  • Critical Hours program sites are now located in rural and urban communities, large and small school districts, spanning from Borrego Springs to San Ysidro.

Program Components:

All Critical Hours programs have the following core components:

  • Education and education enrichment activities (e.g. homework assistance, tutoring, public speaking, computers, cultural arts, field trips);
  • Recreation activities (e.g. physical fitness, intramural sports, skills clinics, team building);
  • Health education (e.g. substance abuse prevention, nutrition, health instruction, anger management);
  • Interpersonal/life skills and self-esteem development (e.g. career exploration, leadership development, providing positive reinforcement for success and positive attitudes, healthy relationships, community service projects).

Outcomes:

  • Improved or sustained school performance;
  • Increased knowledge of coping strategies as related to tobacco, alcohol, drugs and gangs;
  • Reduction of at-risk behaviors and/or sustained low levels of adverse contact with the juvenile justice system;
  • Increased or refreshed knowledge of positive health habits; and completion of tobacco prevention curriculum.

Funding:

  • Since 1997 the County of San Diego has allocated $5.6 million to Critical Hours.
  • Community collaboratives match County funding with resources and in-kind contributions.
  • Funding for three compressed natural gas vans to be used by Critical Hours sites was secured through the State of California Petroleum Violations Escrow Account

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