The conference proceedings presented in this report document successful strategies for meeting the child care needs of school-age children and stimulating new ways of thinking about the provision of school-age child care. The first part of the report gives a historical perspective of Maryland's activity in school-age child care. The second part…

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…

Describes Being in Charge, a guidance unit designed to provide intermediate and middle-grade children with the skills to cope more effectively with taking care of themselves while home alone. Discusses format of the sessions, objective and content for each of the six sessions, and evaluates the program as implemented with fifth and sixth graders…

This article explores potential risks faced by children with disabilities who are left at home alone. The importance of assessing children's needs and skills for safely staying home alone is stressed and suggestions offered for concepts to teach children, alternate methods of supervision, and other practical concerns. (PB)

Examines relationships between middle school/junior high student latchkey status and experimentation with alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Results indicate latchkey youth who were home alone two or more days per week were four times more likely to have gotten drunk in the past month than youths who had parental supervision five or more times a week.…

Extended-day education programs may serve a variety of purposes for children and their parents, from providing a safe recreation environment to academic enrichment, but the most often-cited purpose of these programs is providing adult supervision of children. The increased labor force participation of mothers with young children--married or…

This document presents 17 philosophical statements regarding school-age care programs, staff, and challenges. The essence of school-age care is to understand childhood and to facilitate positive development. Because these programs provide a place where children have significant contact with adults within a multi-age peer group, they can teach…

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 guide for employed parents describes types of programs available to school-age children, criteria parents can use in selecting a program that meets their child's needs, and ways to find or develop neighborhood child care programs. Options for young children include day care centers, day care in schools, family day care, and care at home.…

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…

After-school activity programs to alleviate the worries of working parents with school-age children and to provide these children with directed play are proposed. A budget for such a program; how to locate volunteers; and a sample schedule are suggested. (JL)

Self-care children were compared with control children in adult care to investigate whether self-care (latchkey) arrangements have negative consequences for children. On several measures of children's social and psychological functioning, no significant differences were found between two matched samples. (Author/DST)

Noting that despite new national priorities vying for attention and tax dollars, voters continue to support after-school programs, this brief summarizes key findings from a 2002 nation-wide poll regarding support and need for after-school programming. Participating in the poll were 800 adults over age 18 who are registered to vote. Among the…

Noting the need for parents, schools, and community members to work together to meet the needs of unsupervised adolescents during after-school hours, this practicum was designed to address those needs in one middle school. Lack of adolescent after-school supervision was documented by means of a parent interest survey distributed to parents of…

Experts believe that child obesity is a serious medical problem that affects people in all socioeconomic groups. Suggests that there is a relationship between absentee parents, particularly mothers, and obese children, focusing on working/absentee mothers, television watching habits, the prophylactic effect of breastfeeding, and poor exercise…