Every country globally has some form of after school care, which often covers younger children, but usually ends before high school years. There are many benefits to having such programs in place, and parents need to know what they entail. For example, children who attend after school care programs have fewer disciplinary referrals from schools and lower absenteeism rates. These programs help parents maintain their jobs by not piling kids on top of each other at home.
What Is The Nature of After School Care and How Can It Benefit Students?
Before you decide to send your child to afters school care, you should ask yourself questions about what the program will do for them. Is there a homework club? What kind of activities are available? Will staff supervise student projects, or is it up to them? These are all essential things parents should know when deciding whether their child should attend after school care.
As soon as your child attends after school care, you’ll start to see some benefits like:
1. Less disciplinary referrals from schools.
This is because the stress of leaving school and getting home can be too much for some children. After school care allows them to stay focused on their studies, and teachers let them stay late when classes are over. Most programs have a structured plan for their activities, which helps new students adjust quickly. This also contributes towards smaller class sizes, which is excellent for your school’s educational experience.
2. Lower rates of absenteeism from school.
When your child is constantly tardy or absent from school, you should consider sending them to an after school program. These programs often offer before and aftercare, so your child can go when convenient for your work schedule. Your child might also be able to join multiple activities if the program offers this, which will allow them to meet new friends and explore different interests.
3. Maintain your job by not piling kids on top of each other at home.
With all the different activities your child may participate in, after school care allows you to maintain your job and gives you time to yourself. For example, if you have an hour commute, you might enjoy an hour of peace when your children are at after school care. Therefore, parents can take on new opportunities at work or start a new hobby without worrying about missing out on their children.
4. Enroll in new activities and meet new friends.
Your child can participate in many different activities, like sports and arts and crafts. This will allow your child to meet new friends explore interests and hobbies. This will allow them to try out new activities they wouldn’t have otherwise tried. Additionally, your child will build self-esteem and develop the responsibility of trying new things.
5. Better school attendance for siblings.
As your child attends an after school program, it’s more likely that their siblings will also participate. This is especially true if there are two different age groups and your older child attends. Some programs have a sibling discount, making them affordable for families and giving siblings the chance to get out of the house when they need to relax while still getting homework done.
How After School Care Affects Children and What You Can Do to Help
Problems start cropping up not long after children begin attending public school. First and foremost, before- and after school care does not provide socialization for children as much as it does a place to hang out until it is time to go home. As a result, many homeschoolers use the time to study or develop their curriculum. Despite this, there are various benefits to attending an after school program.
Programs offer not only fun activities but also help children become more social. Often, the activities kids have to do are simple, but they do them well. For example, storytime and board games are typically standard fare at most after school programs, and they allow children to enjoy attention from peers and teachers alike.
Reasons Why You Should Care About After School Care?
As a parent, you should be concerned about after school care options for your child because of the benefits it offers. The most important thing to consider when looking into after school care is what kinds of activities your child will participate in. Here are a few reasons why you should care about after school care.
1. It makes going to school easier
After school care helps keep your child focused and happy when it is time to go home. You’ll often see a marked difference in their attitude and behavior, which could be that they are being engaged while they wait. This also helps with their socialization, and you’ll notice them becoming more confident in the way they interact with peers. As a result, your child will be happier leaving school, and you may even notice that their grades have improved.
2. Keeps your child from being bored
This is the most important aspect of after school care. You want your child to get a chance to play with the other kids and stay busy. On top of that, you should think that if your child is bored, they may get in trouble. As a parent, you want to help keep your children safe when you can, and one good way is to involve them in activities they enjoy.
3. Helps them discover new activities
This is an excellent way to occupy and entertain them. Yes, you want your child to be studying or self-improvement, but they also need a chance to discover new things. It can be hard for children to concentrate on studying when they’re not stimulated. By putting them in an after school program, you can ensure that exploring their interests and figuring out what they want to do when they reach adulthood is safe.
4. Learn responsibility
One of the best aspects of after school care is that children can learn responsibility from caring for themselves. When your child is in public school, they are expected to be a good student and behave well. After school care allows children the opportunity to learn about responsibility and learn that it’s okay to take care of themselves when they are tired or have a nap.
5. Improve math grades
This is an important way to give children a boost in their math skills. Research has shown that children who participate in after school care tend to improve their math grades, and they also tend to be better at it when they start school again. This is a great way to get your child involved in an activity that they will enjoy, resulting in better math skills. After school care is an essential aspect of making sure that your child can succeed in school, so you’ll want to make sure that your child has the opportunity to attend.
6. Make education affordable
There are many different after school care options, but few are affordable. As a parent, you want to make sure that it is affordable to attend and that you have access to after school care near your home. Some programs offer a sibling discount, which can cut down on tuition and help your child’s ability to get out of the house.
7. Great way to grow independence
Children are at a stage where they need to become more independent. Once they start attending public school, they will be required to do many things independently. After school care is an excellent way for children to learn how to be more self-sufficient and get their homework done when they need to.
8. Better for your child’s emotional health
This is one of the biggest reasons why parents consider after school care. Children are more likely to be happy and feel like they belong when attending an after school program. This is especially true if they can attend a program run by their teacher or with friends the child already knows.
9. Allows children to be active
One of the most significant ways your child will benefit from after school care is that it helps keep them active. Public schools may not always have the ability or even the space for kids to run around and play. Instead, school is a place where children sit quietly, listen and do the work they need to do. After school programs can help make sure that your child has the opportunity to get plenty of exercises and interact with other students.
10. Quality care
This is an important part of any after school care program. You want to be sure that your child is at a place where they will be well cared for and able to have fun while you are away. Many programs offer care to children and adults, which is important to decide.
What Things to Know About After School Care
Before you enroll your child in after school care, you should know what kinds of activities you will see your child participate in. Many different after school care programs cater to various age groups, so be sure to carefully look into this before deciding on a program for your child.
Next, you need to think about the facilities where your child will go. You will have a better idea of what your child’s activity will look like when you know whether it takes place in the classroom, a gymnasium, or a playground.
Lastly, you should pay close attention to how much after school care you can afford.
Final Thoughts
You must choose after school care carefully as a parent. This can have a huge impact on a child’s life, and you want to make sure that you look into all of your options before you decide.
We at NY Babysteps encourage you to keep your child’s best interest in mind when you make your decision, as generally, after school care programs are an excellent way for children to grow and learn new skills. Nothing can make your child happier than having the opportunity to play with other kids, meet new friends and discover a new hobby.
If you need after school care near you, consider NY Babysteps. We offer a wide variety of after school care programs, and we have worked hard to ensure that our programs are up to par with the highest standards.
