Unaccompanied youth are young people who lack safe, stable housing and who are not in the care of a parent or guardian. They may have run away from home or been forced to leave by their parents. Unaccompanied youth live in a variety of temporary situations, including shelters, the homes of friends or relatives, cars, campgrounds, public parks,…

This guidebook begins with a definition of the term "latchkey," which is followed with guidelines for Alaskans interested in starting a program for latchkey children. Discussion focuses on: (1) surveying parents; (2) determining costs; (3) planning space; (4) developing a culturally sensitive curriculum that is responsive to the special…

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 purpose of this practicum was to develop an on-site training program for latchkey family day care home providers. Practicum objectives were to (1) develop a pilot project involving three family day care homes in Pinellas County, Florida; (2) assist caregivers in meeting the annual training requirements; (3) design and implement, on-site, a…

Information and materials are presented to aid in the development of an after school program for latchkey children. An introduction describes the program that served as the basis for this manual and that provided this community service while giving hands-on learning experience to high school vocational child development and child care students.…

This report provides background information about latchkey children. In addition, the report provides general information concerning school-age programs and some of the more readily available resources in North America. Among the issues considered are those which seem to be generating the most concern. These include staffing, qualifications,…

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;…

This manual details the events which led to the opening, in April, 1986, of the Cleveland (Ohio) Public Schools' Family Life After-School Program for urban latchkey children. Sections of the manual concern: (1) assessment of need; (2) resource inventory; (3) community input; (4) planning; (5) program design; (6) site selection; (7) program size;…

In an assessment of middle school practitioners' attitudes concerning the possible use of school facilities for extended-day programs, 732 participants of a seminar at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville were surveyed. A total of 472 participants returned the survey instrument. Participants were members of four- to six-person middle school…

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…

A rural community established an after-school child care program by forming a community coalition, acquiring funding, obtaining space, and arranging for children's transportation. The program enriched the quality of life for children, parents, and staff. Children's grades improved and the number of mothers satisfied with child care services…

This handbook is designed to provide local school corporations with information about legislation enacted by the Indiana General Assembly in 1991 that requires each corporation to offer latch-key programs, or child-care programs for school-age children, during the 1992-93 school year. The handbook supplies school corporations with: (1) a copy of…

First authorized in 1994, the 21st-Century Community Learning Centers program supports after-school programs in approximately 7,500 rural and inner-city public schools . A distinguishing characteristic of 21st-Century programs is the inclusion of academic activities. This report presents the first-year findings from an evaluation of the program.…

Noting that the disappointing findings of the first-year evaluation of the 21st-Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) after-school program were offered as a rationale for a requested decrease in funding in President Bush's fiscal year 2004 education budget, this report compiles expert commentary on methodological issues in that evaluation…

Children will face many critical issues in the 21st century. Unfortunately, most of these issues are not new and have remained the same from previous years. Millions of children lack safe, affordable, quality child care and early childhood education while their parents work. Seven and one-half million children are at home alone without…