Due to working parents, unsafe home conditions, and mass-media pressures, schools are becoming increasingly involved with providing child care for school-age children. While afterschool care poses a number of design, funding, and equity problems, schools and communities can resolve them to the great benefit of the children served. (MLH)

Examines adolescents' susceptibility to peer pressure in after-school experiences in a large sample of fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth graders. Shows that adolescents who report home after school are not significantly different from those who are supervised by their parents at home during after-school hours. (HOD)

Almost half of the 13 million children aged 13 and under are estimated to have no supervision after school hours. Communities and schools must develop responses to the problem tailored to local needs. (MD)

This guide provides information on the benefits of afterschool programs and the qualities of good after school programs. Afterschool programs reduce the risk of juvenile delinquency, substance use, and violent crime victimization. Children involved in quality programs decrease their chances of dropping out, earn higher grades, and develop better…

Surveyed 90 children (aged 4-12) who called PhoneFriend child help-line to examine their coping strategies when home after school with no adults. Boredom was most frequent reason given for calling; watching television was most popular support activity reported. Children reported often having siblings or friends with them, and many regularly called…

Discusses the social consequences of children left at home unsupervised by adults, particularly by their mothers. Highlights the effects on children of having employed or single mothers: lack of sufficient interaction with parents, low academic achievement, substance use, and violence. Suggests the need for a new look at the social construction of…

School-age child care (SACC) is a relatively new social institution, and effective SACC programs must balance academic, recreational, and enrichment needs of child development. Outcomes of a study in two states to review program operations, staffing, activities, community involvement, and evaluation indicate that programs focus on academics and…

Recognizing that children watch an average of 25 hours of television per week, this booklet is designed to help parents redirect their children's television viewing to higher quality programs. Ten "tips" are provided to help parents guide their children's television (TV) viewing: (1) set your child's TV schedule; (2) get involved (in the child's…

This background briefing paper synthesizes current thinking and practice on the issue of latchkey children and school-age child care (SACC). The paper defines the problem of latchkey children; reviews related literature and programmatic responses to the problem; reports responses of four southern states; and points out implications for policy…

This final report supplements the series of quarterly reports for the Chicago Coalition for Education and Training for Employment (CCETE) Project by the Education Network for Older Adults (ENOA). It summarizes outcomes of CCETE's effort to gather the opinions, based on experience, of employers and employees about the problems of educating and…

Traces the development of day care from the early 1800's to the present. Focuses on California, a national leader in publicly supported childcare, preschool, parenting education, and afterschool care programs. Describes 1985 legislation, including a welfare reform act and a latchkey program providing significant funding for school age childcare.…

With a growing number of families with both parents in the workforce, there is a continuing struggle to find child care for school-age children during the out-of-school hours: before and after school, summers, and holidays. This report provides an overview of the need for school-age care in Arizona and highlights the state's major program…

After-school settings and activities for 206 urban children, grades one through four were examined, and associations with behavioral adjustment noted. Found that effects of activities on externalizing and internalizing behaviors were more pronounced in lower income children than in those from middle and upper income backgrounds. Peer interaction…

Currently, there are over 16 million working mothers in the United States. Nonetheless, few children's books portray working mothers. In the books that do, the child is often anxious and lonely, especially when returning from school to an empty house. If children's literature is to be realistic, it must reflect the prevalence and positive aspects…

The effects of family configuration, family income, and child gender on academic achievement were examined in 239 latchkey children in grades 3 through 5. Found that children of single parents scored lower on reading and language measures in grade four than children in two-parent families. Girls scored higher than boys in reading in grade four.…