What's in when school's out

By ASHLEY CAMPBELL

Working parents' need for childcare doesn't go away once their children start school - in some ways it actually gets more difficult.

Children may be cared for between the hours of 8.30am and 3pm, but what happens then?

John Kennedy from Out of School Care Network says that after-school care is about 10 to 15 years behind early childhood services.

For example, there are as yet no recognised qualifications for after-school care workers and only recently has Government funding been made available to help providers meet their operational costs.

Even so, the network has 300 providers of after-school or holiday care on its database and Kennedy says most areas of Auckland now have some services available.

Like early childhood services, the services' hours are limited (most operate only to 5.30pm, some to 6pm) and before-school care is a real crisis area, says Kennedy.

So where do parents start when looking for after-school care? The best place, says Kennedy, is the school itself, as 60 per cent of services are provided by schools or community trusts with links to schools.

Alternatively, they could contact the network (09 366 0320) which has a database of all services available in the Auckland region.

Once they have found services in their area, parents should visit for themselves to see which would best suit their children's needs. Issues to look for include:

* Are staff supervising children at all times? If children are playing outside, a staff member should be out there with them.

* Are the staff actually interacting with the children, rather than just reading a book or talking to each other and intervening only when there's a problem?

* Do the children look happy and appear to like the adults?

* Is the environment safe but stimulating?

* What is the service's philosophy and how does it allocate time between homework, structured activity and less structured play?

* What are the staff members' backgrounds (some may be former teachers or childcare workers)?

* If the service gives children an after-school snack (most do) is it nutritious and is there variety?

* Is the service approved by Child Youth and Family?

More services are gaining CYF approval, says Kennedy, which involves a basic health and safety check and criminal background checks on all staff. Low-income parents wanting an Oscar subsidy for before and after-school care need to use a CYF-approved service.

Cost can be an issue for low-income families, or families with more than one child needing care, says Kennedy. Most services charge about $10 for 2 1/2 to three hours' care, with some charging up to $15 and few charging less than $8.

Some after-school services also provide holiday care, while other holiday programmes are provided by community groups. Again, schools and the network can put parents in touch with services in their area.

But, says Kennedy, parents wanting a choice of services should book well ahead and not leave it until a couple of weeks before the end of term.