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.
Some argue that locating after-school programs in community organizations such as a Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, or Urban League would avoid these challenges. Most are in agreement, however, about the importance of program accessibility, affordability, and quality. Only when parents can find and afford programs in their community can after-school programs fulfill a useful purpose. They must provide the supervision and enrichment that parents want. The staff must be competent authority figures to the children, yet allow them the autonomy beneficial to youth.