Chapter 2 Determining the Need for Child Care
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preschool care. In many cases, they have developed because of the changing needs of
school-age children who have been enrolled in a particular program since infancy or
early preschool days.
As the demand for school-age care has grown, the number of programs offering
that type of care has also grown. The public schools are beginning to react to the
needs of modern day working families. Before- and after-school programs can now
often be found right in the school where the children have spent their academic day.
The schools may operate the programs themselves. In other cases, the schools have
been reluctant to become directly involved, but have been willing to contract with a
local child care agency to run a program for them. The agency handles issues of
licensing, liability insurance, staffing, and program development for the school dis-
trict. During the summer, or on other days when the schools are closed, the program
can expand to function on a full-day basis.
Drop-in Centers
Many families do not need care on a regular basis. Drop-in centers, that meet the
need for occasional care, are becoming popular. They are often located near malls or
fitness clubs. Parents can have a few hours to themselves while the children receive
care in a pleasant, well-supervised setting. Resorts, hospitals, or convention center
areas are also places where drop-in centers may be found, 2-11.
While some children may be in the drop-in group on a fairly regular schedule,
many will change on a daily basis. If the classroom is part of a larger child care center,
the staff in it may also vary from day to day. For some children, this may cause no
problem. For others, however, the changing personnel and children, as well as irreg-
ular attendance, may make adjustment more difficult.
As a director of a program that includes a drop-in classroom, you will need to be
sure that enough staff are present to meet the mandated adult-to-child staff ratio.
2-10 These school-age boys are ready for activities that are interesting and fun during after-
school care.