Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/whos-who-in-school-age-care/5012335/
In the 1997 Child Care Information Exchange school-age status report, I observed that "school-age care is the fastest growing segment of the early childhood arena . . . and possibly the least visible." Both these observations are still true. In the past six months, school-age care has been a hot news item with the unveiling of major new school-age funds. Despite all the news, the school-age field is still not well understood even by most early childhood professionals. The problem is that there is a wide range of players shaping the school-age environment and most people only see school-age care through the eyes of one of these players. In this status report I will introduce all the major providers in an attempt to provide a broad perspective on the entire field.Primary Players
The most important players, of course, are the families who use school-age care and the staff who provide those services.
_ Families. Recent surveys have confirmed the overwhelming demand for school-age services. Over 80% of parents say they want their children to participate in such services. With the increasing employment levels for both men and women, more children than ever before face the possibility of being unsupervised in out of ...