THE CHILDCARE-BASED MODEL
Childcare-based after-school programs — often referred to as after care, day care, or extended day — usually range from 14 to 75 participants per day. Their focus is on providing students with a safe, neighborhood-like envi- ronment where they can play, engage in choice activities, and do homework. The directors of childcare-based programs, many of whom also teach full- or part-time during the school day, generally describe their programs as an opportunity for kids from differ- ent grades to develop their social and conflict-resolution skills. In the words of one director, “Ours is not in any way an enhancement program; it is designed strictly to assist parents who need coverage after school.”
Some schools with childcare-based programs also offer classes such as chess, dance, and karate, but these activities are not viewed as a major source of revenue. Generally, directors of childcare-based programs do not know if their programs make or lose money, and of the directors who did know their program’s financial num- bers, most reported that their mandate was not to make a profit. As one direc- tor commented, “I do not think about
making a profit; our goal is to offer a relaxed, ‘comfy’ play time in a home- like atmosphere.”
Of the programs researched for this article, approximately 60.5 percent fit the childcare category.
