Background. During recent decades quick changes in society have changed conditions for children and youth's development. In Central and Eastern Europe the questions of equal opportunities and of the right not to be discriminated are of the biggest concern. According to Kieselbach, Beelmann, Traiser (2002); Chamberlayne (1999) and the number of young people, who do not attend school, is increasing, children and youth's criminality is spreading, pupils' motivation to study is insufficient, youngsters' bad habits, including drug- taking, are spreading, the number of social exclusion cases is increasing etc. This societal change reflects in the institutes of socialization which have direct impact on child's socialization in the family, at school, in formal and informal education institutions and social-pedagogical institutions working with children.According to some scientists (Hentze, 1999, Majauskiene &Leliugiene, 2004 ), conditions for child and youth's development have changed because the functions of the above mentioned institutes of socialization have changed. These institutes of socialization include institutions of extra-curriculum education.Institutions of extra-curriculum education are independent, democratically organized communities of children, their parents, agencies and teachers interested in this kind of education, which activities are based on the principles of humanism and universal values and which pursue the clearly defined objectives. According to Rademacker, 1999, Bužinskas, 2002; Leliugiene, 2003; Kvieskiene, 2003, institutions of extra-curriculum education is one of the main institutes for personality's socialization.Children and youth, who have much leisure time and spend this time purposelessly and meaninglessly, often submit to the negative impact of the environment and commit crimes, they more often become clients of the law and order institutions; it can therefore be stated that children's non-involvement is a high risk factor. If youth were guaranteed purposeful and positive involvement (both at school and in separate institutions of extra-curriculum education), i.e. if youth were given a possibility to involve in interesting, live socially acceptable activity, problems of child and youth socialization were likely to decrease.When exercising their functions of child and youth social protection, rehabilitation and adaptation in social life, and organisation of purposeful leisure for children and youth etc., the institutions of extra-curriculum education could carry out programmes of early social assistance and prevention. The problem of the research can be defined by the following questions: what opportunities do the institutions of extra-curriculum education provide for youth, and what problems of youth socialization do they solve?The aim of the research is to highlight the specificities of the activities of the extra-curriculum education institutions in solving problems of child and youth socialization.Methods of the research: analysis of scientific literature and documents, written survey. The first part of the paper discusses conceptual approaches and principles of extra-curriculum education, and the profiles of the activities of the institutions implementing such education. The second part highlights specificities of the activities of the extra-curriculum education institutions in solving problems of child and youth socialization, on the basis of empirical research.The quantitative empirical research - a written survey - was carried out in 2004. Three separate respondent groups took part in the survey (the total number of respondents is 251): children and youth involved in activities of the institutions of extra- curriculum education, their parents and staff of these institutions - pedagogues. Key words: children and youth; socialization problems, institutions of extra-curriculum education, social-educational activity.