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Many parents across all districts take advantage of after-school care and spots fill for after-school programs at impressive rates. That’s why it’s important to know how to stay ahead of the rush.
We tapped Laurie Han, associate executive director for Child Care Resource and Referral from the YMCA, to answer common questions about after-school care.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Q: How soon should parents start looking into after-school care?
A: “Before they enroll their child in school, they should be looking at before and after-school care options. So that when they go to enroll their child in an elementary school, or even a middle school, they know what is available, because I think that that is a big determination in some families’ choices on where they send their children to school.”
Q: How can parents know whether programs are free or have a fee?
A: “YMCA is the child care resource and referral agency serving San Diego County. If a parent is looking for a specific school, we can look up to see if there’s a childcare program at the site and then whether that one is free or if the parent pays. They definitely can also contact the schools individually to find out what options are available in their schools. Some schools have multiple options, or some schools will have a free ASES (After School Education and Safety) program but then also have a parent-pay program. And regardless if there is a parent-pay program and they can’t get into the free one, the parents may be eligible for a child care subsidy. We can help guide them toward where to apply for the subsidy. Some agencies also offer scholarships. The YMCA offers scholarships to families using their programs.”
Q: For subsidies and scholarships where can parents find that?
A: “So the biggest subsidy in San Diego County is called alternative payment and there’s no deadline necessarily to apply. The programs are operated through YMCA and Child Development Associates. And so, they continuously enroll families that are eligible as there’s a lot of funding for it right now. They have to apply, and they have to be income eligible to get that assistance. It’s a state-funded program so there’s a lot of paperwork involved. But they can use that for any child care programs up until the child turns 13.[LH3] So once the child is 13, they’re no longer eligible for that program. But they could use that for a private pay center-based program. They could use that for a licensed family child care home, or they could use it for a family member that’s caring for the child.”
Resources: To learn more about the enrollment process and requirements, guardians can visit childcaresandiego.com.
Q: What are important requirements to know about different after-school programs?
A: “It’s important that when looking for a child-care program that you know what the requirements are. A lot of programs that are funded by the state and federal government require the child to be in attendance. I have a friend who used a funded after-school program and she couldn’t pick up a child before a certain time every day, even if she got off work early. It was expected that the child would be there for that amount of time. That’s how their funding works. It’s important to know if there’s an attendance requirement. Some of the other things that they need to know are what days are they open? Are they closed for the holidays and school breaks and stuff like that? Because then that puts an additional burden on the families having to find some sort of back-up care for that time. And what happens on minimum days? Are the children able to be there or is the program closed those days?”
Q: What are the biggest mistakes parents make when it comes to after-school care?
A: “The big mistakes that happen are usually just around the fit of the program. Sometimes programs are really big and loud and if you have a little child, you know a TK (Transitional Kindergarten) or a kindergartener, you want to make sure that it’s going to be the right fit for each child. You want to ask the questions about, how are the children divided up, by age groups or grades? You want to make sure parents are asking, what is the regular schedule of the program. If it’s too rigid, it might not work well for certain children. If it’s too free flow, it might not work for certain children. So, you really want to get a gauge for what the day would look like. Also, with little ones, like the TK and kindergarteners, you want to know if there’s a place for children to rest. School is hard on those little ones, and they’ve been used to doing naps in the afternoon.”
After-School Care Availability at San Diego County Districts
After-school care options differ from district to district and even from school to school. Regardless of a district’s options, parents often find themselves confronted with long wait lists. That can be a big problem, especially for working families.
For some, like San Diego Unified parent Jared Goossens, those waits can last over a year. As a single parent, that wait cost Goossens job opportunities and led to a whole lot of added stress.
As Goossens said, “It shouldn’t be this hard for a working parent barely scraping by to find care.”
To give parents a fuller picture of what’s available, Voice of San Diego asked districts throughout the county how many students are on their after-school care waitlists, and if they offer after-school care for free. At districts shaded green, 0 percent to 10 percent of students who’ve signed up for after-school care are on a waitlist, at districts shaded in yellow 11 percent to 30 percent of students are waitlisted and in district shaded red, 31 percent or more of students are on a waitlist.
Your After-School Options Checklist
Here are questions you can ask to determine if a program is right for your family.
- Does the school have after-school care? If so, what is the cost? Are there scholarships?
- What organization operates the program?
- Is there a waiting list? What’s the process to apply?
- What are the operating hours?
- What’s the staff-to-student ratio?
- Are staff trained to work with children?
- What activities are offered to children?
- Is there someone who will help kids with homework?
- What happens if I’m delayed at work?
- What happens if I pick up my child early?
- Will food and snacks be provided? If so, what kind?
- How do staff handle conflicts?
- Is care available during holidays and other breaks?