After-school child care: dilemma in a rural community - Project Home Safe, American Home Economics Home Association, Arkansas

Children Today, Jan-Feb, 1992 by Mary M. Warnock

children. Because of the availability of child care, a number of mothers have entered the work force for the first time or have returned to a previous position.

* A dilemma solved. Because of one parent's concern and efforts, a rural community has benefited. The after-school child care dilemma no longer exists, but the struggle of the child care program to remain solvent is ever-present.

The Future

As long as there are caring community leaders, citizens and parents, the outlook for this rural community appears very bright. Plans are being formulated to expand the child care program to incorporate before-school needs. Most of the parents must be at work by 7:00 A.M. and the elementary school does not open until 7:30 A.M. Even though a need for before school child care exists, several barriers involving inadequate revenues, a scarcity of trained personnel, and transportation problems must be overcome.

If quality after-school and summer child care programs can be developed in this rural locale of 671 people, they can be devised elsewhere. According to Todd, Albrecht and Coleman,[9] the number of high-caliber after-school child care programs is still quite limited in outlying areas. Designing a plan, finding the resources and maintaining determination is part of the challenge of spearheading child care programs in today's rural community. [1] S.A. Koblinsky, G.G. Vaughn and J.A. Schrage. "Project Home Safe: A National Initiative on Behalf of Children in Self-Care," Journal of Home Economics, Vol. 82, No. 1, Spring, 1990. [2] R. Baden, A. Genser, J. Levine and M. Seligson, School Age-Child Care: An Action Manual, Dover, Massachusetts, Auburn House Publishing Company, 1982. [3] C. and M. Borba, "Self-Esteem in School-Age Children," Texas Child Care Quarterly, Vol. 13, No. 3, Winter, 1989. [4] M.D. Jacoby, "School Improvement and After-School Programs: Making the Connection," Middle School Journal, Vol. 18, November, 1986. [5] "Anoka Technical Institute's Day Care Center-Providing More Than Day Care," Partners in Learning, Vol. 12, Fall/Winter, 1988. [6] F.S. Chapman, "Executive Guilt: Who's Taking Care of the Children?," Fortune, February 16, 1987. [7] C.M. Todd, K.M. Albrecht and M. Coleman, "School-Age Child Care: A Continuum of Options7" Journal of Home Economics, Vol. 82, No. 1, Spring, 1990. [8] M.A. King, "Promoting the Development of Caregivers" Texas Child Care QuarterlY, Vol. 12, No. 3, Winter, 1988. [9] Todd, op. cit.

Mary Warnock, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Clothing, Textiles and Merchandising, Department of Home Economics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas.