These funding patterns are leading to the development of a school-age child care system that is stratified by family income. The relationship between schools and child care should be explored further. Public school-based programs represent only a quarter of the programs and a third of enrolled children overall. Programs sponsored by private nonprofit schools represent only an additional 10 percent. However, if programs are expanded in the school setting, care should be taken to ensure that activities meet the needs and desires of children and their parents and are not simply extensions of the school's instructional methods and structure.
Many parents prefer informal learning that emphasizes social and emotional growth.