Within the literature of social psychology, there exists a body of information that deals with role theory, defined as the expectations persons have at any given time and the norms that govern their behavior. This paper discusses role theory as it applies to school-age child caregivers and as part of the process of professionalism.…

This workshop discussion paper addresses the issue of professionalism in school-age care. After explaining that "professionalism" means different things to different people and offering a brief history of professionalism, the paper provides a working definition of a professional: Someone who operates out of a theory base, someone who not…

School-age child care is a relatively new phenomenon, created as a result of the loss of the geographically close extended family and the influx of women into the workforce. This manual examines the nature of school-age child care and those who provide it. The first section examines: the purpose of school-age child care; the role of the child care…