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…

This ERIC Digest provides an overview of school-age child care (SACC) programs and suggests reasons for their growth. Discussion points out that escalating interest in SACC has paralleled the raising numbers of children left on their own, and that educators are only the latest in a parade of civic and professional groups which have gone on record…

This digest discusses ways in which public libraries deal with latchkey children who spend their after-school hours at public libraries while their parents are at work. Research conducted in 1990 of 110 public libraries revealed that almost all libraries encountered unattended children after school hours, and that most libraries surveyed were not…

It has been observed that one historical role of the public library is serving the nation's youth. Current economic and social conditions have created the phenomenon of the "latchkey child"--the school-aged child who has no parent or guardian at home after school hours and has no alternative care arrangement. In light of this, this…

Although it has become commonplace in our society for children to take care of themselves for periods of time every day while their parents work, not much is known about the adequacy or effects of these self-care arrangements. Recent studies have reached very different conclusions regarding academic performance, social skills, self-esteem, school…

Due to the number of children who are left unsupervised after school, schools are becoming involved in day care. A school may allow a day care center to function on its premises, form a partnership with another organization to run a day care center jointly, or run a day care program by itself. Although principals, teachers, or parents may…

This collection of papers addresses seven critical problem areas that can place today's young students at risk. "Children in Self-Care" (Merlyn Pitney) discusses the key problems of the rapidly increasing number of "latch key" students who must fend for themselves before and/or after school. "Stress Management for Children" (Kristine Kunkle) shows…

This second chapter in "Elementary School Counseling in a Changing World" covers a variety of topics related to helping children and parents function effectively within changing family situations. Four journal articles are included in the chapter. "A Multimodal Intervention for Group Counseling with Children of Divorce" by Margaret Crosbie-Burnett…

The ERIC/EECE Digests in this compilation focus on different aspects of the education and care of children from birth through 12 years of age. The four digests produced in 1989 concern the escalating kindergarten curriculum, involvement of parents in the education of their children, mixed-age groups in early childhood education, and praise in the…