It is hard to know how many parents choose the first two options, but several studies tell us about the extent to which American parents use formal after-school programs. This report found an estimated 1.7 million children in kindergarten through eighth grade enrolled in nearly 50,000 programs. Available data also show that the older children get, the less likely their parents or guardians are to enroll them in a school-age program. Families commonly use a combination of after-school care options. Transportation and cost are certainly factors in explaining the prevalence of this mixed-bag approach.
Child is home under the care of an older sibling.
Research on the developmental effects of self-care yields conflicting results. Not surprisingly, staff wages and turnover are also key components of quality. They do so in two ways. Chief among the public funding sources is the U.S. Department of Education s 21st-Century Community Learning Centers Program. Questions also arise about staffing after-school programs located within schools.