Extension Family Files by Bev Peters

School’s Almost Out — Select Summer Care for Your School-age Child

 Children look forward to summer vacation from school, but for most working parents, finding quality care for children during the summer can be challenging.

 Parents need to be good consumers and shop carefully. Knowing that your children are happy and safe will make your summer much more enjoyable. Since most summer programs will not start until school is out, it may be difficult to visit a program ahead of time. However, you can call, visit with the director and ask some key questions. You also may want to check out the opinions of other parents. It is certainly OK to ask the director for referrals to families who would be willing to speak with you.

 Parents need to ask these key questions:

 Is there ample space and is it comfortable? Look for a program that has sufficient space for children. Eighty-five children stuffed into a school cafeteria for most of the day is not a good situation. Children should have ample space for indoor and outdoor activities, and the space should be comfortable. Kids need shady areas for outdoor play, a sofa or bean bag chairs to relax in and carpeted areas to sprawl out on during the day.

 Is the program well supervised? Are there a sufficient number of adults? It is ideal for each adult to have “primary responsibility” for a specific group of children during the day and keep tabs on those children at all times.

 Do children have a wide variety of activities to choose from? If a summer program is run by a preschool child care program, be sure it has suitable, age-appropriate activities for school-age kids. School-age kids do not want to be stuck in a preschool room with three-piece puzzles, a pretend play corner and finger paint. Favorite activities for school-agers include sculpting, tie dying, gardening, polishing computer skills, reading, working jigsaw puzzles, playing board games, photography, cooking, sewing, woodworking, acting, swimming and fishing.

 Is safety a priority? Does the staff have current first aid certification, including CPR? How does the staff handle emergencies? Is emergency information available at all times, including during field trips? Can staff be contacted by phone during the day? What are the check-in and check-out procedures during arrival and departure? Are permission and identification required from unfamiliar adults picking up children?

 How are discipline problems handled? Most parents realize that if children are involved in interesting activities throughout the day, discipline problems are greatly minimized. Nevertheless, even in the best of programs there will be a few problems. Is there a written discipline policy and is it one that you feel comfortable with? 

Are adults responsive and respectful of children? Adults should be genuinely interested in children and should have many conversations with them throughout the day. Discussions should include why, how and “what if” questions and should encourage children to explore ideas and exchange views. Avoid programs where adults communicate with children solely to control their behavior and manage routines.

 How well do children get along? Are peer relationships usually positive or is there a strong presence of teasing, bickering and bullying? How are children helped to resolve conflict and solve problems? Do children have some freedom to choose their own companions or are they locked into assigned groups?

 How well does the staff get along? Do staff members seem to enjoy working together? Do they communicate positively with each other? How long do staff members typically stay with the program? Is there high turnover of staff?

 Finding high quality summer care does take effort, but it is a time well invested. Parents who select a quality program will feel at ease knowing their child is safe, well supervised and engaged in interesting activities.

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