After school care programmes: a look at programme provision, parent/caregiver use and need

Abstract

The research looks at after-school care programme provision, and parent/caregiver use and need. A qualitative methodology, face-to-face interviewing was used, to identify what provision is over a range of after-school care programmes, look at provider concerns, and establish whether provision met the needs of the parent/caregiver user. Interviews were conducted with management, staff supervisors, and parents using the programmes. With the increased participation of women in the workforce and the growth of dual earner families establishment of after-school care programmes has escalated in recent times. Minimum standards for ongoing provision are not mandatory, creating a wide variability in structure and quality of programme. This area of school-aged child care is seen against an ecological background as being an important context for both children's wellbeing and parent/caregiver support. The match between provision and user need is important for the promotion of a quality support service which will aid the parent/caregiver in equality of participation in society. The value of this project lies in the information obtained from a real life context. To date little descriptive research has been undertaken in this field. The research findings are consistent with other research findings and reflect the concerns expressed by those using programmes, programme providers and advocacy agencies with an interest in out of school care. The key findings are: the urgent need for funding support to ensure programme viability and thus ongoing accessibility for parents/caregivers; the need for the implementation of national standards to guard against the variability in programme practice; the urgent need for not only national government intervention but local government support to alleviate some of the burden presently weighing so heavily on the community; and the need for out of school care interest groups to be encouraged in the development of training for out of school care workers, and other resources.