Afterschool or latchkey programs provide professional care for youngsters while building confidence among students and parents. This article describes three program options: site-based, centralized, and outsider programs. Before proceeding, principals must discover parents' expectations, consider available facilities, obtain trained staff, and…

The author documents development of the After-School Care Program in the Dade County School System and assesses the extent to which its clients agreed on the goals, staff, program, supplies, and facilities based on a survey of parents. Recommendations are included. (CH)

Currently at least 5 million children--some estimates are as high as 15 million--are left unsupervised before or after school for 3 or more hours a day. In response to the problems of these latchkey children, many public schools are now developing some form of school-based or school-related before- and after-school child care programs. The purpose…

The Mechanicsburg Area (Pennsylvania) Phone Pal Program is a telephone reassurance program in which an older volunteer calls a child who is home alone before or after school. Calls are made at the same time each day. These daily calls provide both younger and older persons with a safety verification, in addition to fellowship. Phone Pal is…

This book for persons interested in setting up high quality school-age child care (SACC) programs: (1) provides background information and a rationale; (2) describes a collaborative model of program development; (3) discusses program funding and resources; (4) considers approaches to recognizing high quality school-age child care; and (5) offers…

Evidence suggests that self-care among school-age children has significant costs to the children, in the form of increased fearfulness and loneliness, heightened vulnerability to peer pressure, and greater likelihood of substance abuse. In response to the need for quality school-age care, this book serves as a guide for anyone wanting to implement…

The Madison Local School District offers guidelines for developing and implementing an independently financed, after-school enrichment program for latchkey children in rural areas. The district, located 40 miles from Cleveland, Ohio, borders on Lake Erie. Sections of the guide concern: (1) program development; (2) establishment of the environment;…

Discusses the need for extended-day programs for latchkey children and describes several existing programs, including cooperative ventures between school and public libraries. Strategies for the development of afterschool programs by media specialists are recommended. (MES)

Provided are guidelines for developing and implementing a before- and after-school child care program for elementary school students in suburban areas. Guidelines are based on the experience of Ohio's Groveport-Madison Local School District. Contents concern: (1) the process of establishing need; (2) the process of laying the groundwork; (3) first…

This report describes a before- and after-school program for children in prekindergarten through grade 5, implemented at a rural elementary school. The feasibility of the program was evaluated by a survey conducted at a Parent Teacher Association meeting. Because it has become more common for both parents to work outside the home, the number of…

Various agencies are attempting to meet the needs of latchkey children through programs run by parent alliances, community organizations, social service agencies, youth groups, schools, businesses, churches, and private day care centers. Studies of latchkey children during the past 15 years have concentrated on measuring the effects of self-care…

A framework for gaining community involvement in planning for school-age child care initiatives is reported. The framework incorporates a plan than could be used as a model for the involvement of the public school system. Four primary components are described: (1) a "Kids' Council" Saturday meeting in which third graders in school-age…

Recognizing the importance of and need for high quality after-school care for 5- to 14-year-olds, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration commissioned a set of 9 School Age Care Technical Assistance Papers discussing the steps in designing high quality programs. This two-videotape set, based on those papers, provides guidance to…