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Child Care and Education Programs - School Age Care
GENERAL COMMENTS:
School-age child care, and out-of-school time programs in general, are offered in a variety of ways in a variety of settings and can be as unique as the communities they serve.
School-age child care includes almost any program that regularly enrolls children from kindergarten through early adolescence during the times when schools are traditionally closed. This includes programs operated by schools, family day care providers, recreation centers, youth-serving organizations, and child care centers. An array of drop-in and part-time programs also serve an ad hoc child care function. 1
Other out-of-school time programs, sometimes referred to as extended day or extended-learning programs, are often operated in school buildings but can also be implemented in other community locations. They may target a specific student population, or be open to all interested participants. And they may or may not be offered every day of the week.
It is important to note that certain funding streams are specific regarding the type of school-age activity that qualifies for funds. For example, federal Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) are used for traditional child care purposes. Programs receiving these funds can include enrichment activities; however the primary use of these funds must be to provide quality child care during before and/or after school hours. Another example is the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grant program offered through the U.S. Department of Education. This initiative provides competitive grant opportunities to rural and inner-city public schools to establish or expand after-school programs. Although the CCLC programs include an element of child care, these programs must primarily focus on providing children and youth with expanded learning opportunities in a safe, drug-free environment.
School Age Care
1 Michelle Seligson and Lillian Coltin, "Approaches to School-Age Child Care," ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Children's Research Center.
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