Research and trust
How we research listings
Clear sources, useful details and honest gaps.
Where information comes from
YouthBy gathers program information from published sources such as provider websites, municipal recreation catalogs, school pages, libraries and community organizations. We use research tools, including AI, to help find and organize that information.
What a source check means
A source check connects a specific listing detail to published evidence. It can establish that a provider advertises an age group, fee, location or session. It does not establish that a seat remains available, that every class at the organization accepts that age, or that the provider has been personally inspected by YouthBy.
What families should be able to see
Where the source supports them, listings include ages or grades, the actual program venue, meeting times or season, fee and fee period, eligibility, and the route to registration. Source links let families follow up with the organization.
Understanding dates
A date when YouthBy checked a source is different from a registration deadline or program start date. Some sources announce a specific term. Others describe an ongoing offering without current session dates. An older or undated page should not be presented as proof of current enrollment.
Understanding costs
A weekly fee, monthly tuition and full-session price are different commitments. Extra charges, resident rates and financial-assistance conditions matter too. Unknown fees should remain unknown; they should not be treated as free or within a requested budget. The free programs page carries only listings whose source states that the program itself is free.
Understanding location
A provider's mailing address or service area may differ from the place a class meets. Town labels and distance information should refer to the published program venue. Nearby options can still be useful, but their location should be clear — which is why a listing can sit in one town's guide while its venue line names another.
How the listings are counted
A program, its dated occurrences and its presence in several town guides are different things. A weekly workshop with eight dates is one program with eight dates, not eight listings, and a program listed in two towns is counted once in the site total. Numbers on the homepage and the guides are read from the same records this page describes.
Help us keep the guide useful
Providers and families can suggest a program or report a changed detail. Include the listing link and an official source when possible. Corrections need to be checked against the evidence before the public listing changes.