Day Care in Schools

In recent years, the number of working parents whose children attend public elementary schools has increased dramatically. Many of these children are left without supervision during the hours immediately after school lets out.

To alleviate this situation, some public schools have become directly or indirectly involved in day care, while others are considering the matter. School policy-makers who are looking at day care should be aware of its advantages and disadvantages before determining the extent to which they want the school to become involved.

Why are Schools Becoming Interested in Day Care?

Over the last two decades, mothers of elementary school children have entered the work force in unprecedented numbers. Most of these women work outside the home, and many of them cannot afford private day care. Consequently, many of their children are left unsupervised during afterschool hours. Baden cites a statement by Senator Alan Cranston of California: "Census data tells us that at least two million school-age children between the ages of seven and thirteen are simply left alone without any supervision" after they are let out of school.

The primary reason schools are becoming interested in day care is to make available some form of supervision for those children.

How Many Public Schools are Involved in Day Care?

Accurate data are not available on the number of public schools involved in day care and the number of children that they serve. However, when the School-Age Child Care Project surveyed 171 day care centers, over half of them reported that they were connected in some way with public schools.

This connection takes many forms. Typically, the school permits a day care center to operate on its premises after school hours at little or no cost. The school might also provide support services, such as those of a school nurse or office staff. In some instances, the school and another organization (for example, a nonprofit corporation formed by concerned parents) enter a partnership to jointly run a day care center on the school's premises. And in some other cases, schools run day care programs without the involvement of any outside parties.

How Does a Public School Become Involved in Day Care?

Virtually any concerned citizen can start the ball rolling. In some instances, school principals have become disturbed by seeing large numbers of young children loitering on the school grounds unsupervised after hours and have decided to do something about it. In others, teachers have become concerned about the same problems. And in some cases, the impetus has come from the parents themselves.

No matter who initiates the process, it is essential to enlist the support of parents, teachers, and administrators. Without such support, school-connected day care doesn't have a chance.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Public School Involvement in Day Care?

Proponents of public school involvement in day care point to the following advantages: