This paper questions whether the second Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal primary education targets by 2015 for all children to complete a full course of primary schooling, can be realised. A key contention of this paper is that this forecast is far-fetched when we take into cognizance refugee children's accessibility to…

Most employed parents, many in dual-earner couples, are at work when their children get out of school, generating parental concerns about children's welfare after school. Parental concerns are hypothesized to be related to respondent and partner work hours, respondent schedule control, and child's unsupervised time and to give rise to job…

Illustrates how one mother and her 10-year-old son worked out a latchkey arrangement for after school. (PCB)

Discusses the various inclement weather conditions (and regional biases toward them) contributing to administrators' decisions to close school for the day or for part of the day. Considers childcare problems and safety considerations. An inset offers closing advice for parents. (MLH)

Working parents must assess their own children's needs and explore the various child care options available. Tips for parent whose children stay home alone and alternatives to leaving children alone are offered. (DF)

This ERIC Digest provides basic information about school-age day care programs. Discussion focuses briefly on options available to families with school-age children, developmental needs of school-age children, characteristics of high quality school-age programs, supportive services for self-care, and ways of improving school-age child care…

The booklet is based on information from a 1984 conference on school-age latchkey children (those who take care of themselves during the out-of-school hours). An introduction notes controversies in terminology and focuses the discussion on what self-care means to the experiences of childhood. The first two chapters discuss the impact that having…

Describes development of a program at the public library in Seaside, California, that offers afterschool homework assistance. Tips on funding, staffing, publicity, services, future plans, and evaluation are provided, and the benefits of this program for latchkey children are considered. (MES)

This report summarizes key findings from a 1999 nationwide poll regarding support and demand for after-school programs. Participating in the poll were 1,100 adults over age 18 who are registered to vote, and an oversample of 100 parents of school-age children. The findings indicated that 92 percent of respondents agreed that there should be an…

Studies 48 after school care programs selected from a survey of 141 public school systems in North Carolina. Provides information on location, population, operational policies, content, personnel evaluation, and plans for future changes. (RJC)

The sharp increase in double-income families has raised questions about responsibility for before- and after-school care for children of working parents. The role of the school, parental practices, effects of self care, and existing programs and services for latchkey children are reviewed. (MT)

Describes a program called the Life Skills group which was started to help latchkey children who attended a rural elementary school. Besides teaching the students practical skills, such as answering the door, organizers developed a newsletter and created a specific curriculum for parents to better meet the needs of their children. (RJM)

This article discusses the phenomenon of "latchkey kids" with disabilities and the shortage of after-school care options for children with special needs. General factors for consideration in the complexity of child care needs are discussed by way of an introduction to the following four articles. (PB)

Considers well-being of children who are home alone during part of the day. Addresses questions parents, researchers, and family life educators may have about self-care. Reviews five related research studies defining the self-care arrangement, the number of children in self-care arrangement, the number of children in self-care, impact of self-care…

This report summarizes key findings from a 2000 nationwide poll regarding support and demand for after-school programs. Participating in the poll were 800 adults over age 18 who are registered to vote. The findings included the following: (1) 92 percent of respondents agreed that there should be an organized activity/place for children and teens…