COAD Programs: Early Care and Education: School age kids activities and options for care

Goals:
• To increase community awareness of the need for all school age children to have a place to go after school that provides them safety, the company of nurturing adults, activities to develop social, life and leadership skills, academic enrichment, and the opportunity to contribute to their community
• To provide support to the school age community through training, a lending library, and customized technical assistance to providers of School Age programming by a trained School Age Care specialist.
• To provide information and resources to develop school age programs which offer: care and education; school success; volunteerism; community service, etc.
• To assist communities to assess the need for and to develop programs for school age children for out of school time, the hours children are not in school.

What exactly is Out of School Time?
Sometimes called Latchkey, sometimes called Before and/or After School Time; now called Out of School Time in Ohio, it refers to programming and services provided for any time when children are NOT in school.
OST refers to
• Before/After school programs
• SAC (school age care)
• Latch Key programs
• Child Care for school age children in homes or centers
Programs may vary in scheduling, fees and content.

Programs may be found in
• School Buildings
• Churches
• Child Care Centers
• Child Care Provider Homes
• Camp sites
• Community Youth Groups
• Local organizations: Businesses, Colleges, Agencies, etc

COAD has staff trained in the specifics of how school age children develop, their areas of interest, and age appropriate activities for programs offering school age services. Their services are FREE, by calling 1-800-577-2276, or by email at ece@coadinc.org .

Why would I contact a COAD School Age Care Specialist?
• To get help with the development of new programs for school age children
• To aid existing Out of School Time Programs by providing technical assistance on a variety of subjects, including but not limited to: start-up, accreditation, funding and licensing.
• To offer providers opportunities for professional development through training.
• To provide parents with the tools they need to locate a program that best meets the needs of their family.
• To increase community awareness of the need for all school age children to have a place to go after school that provides them safety, the company of nurturing adults, activities to develop social, life and leadership skills, academic enrichment, and the opportunity to contribute to their community.
• To request a Library List, to borrow school age resources
• To request a newsletter
• To request a training calendar

COAD’s FREE OST Services can assist you in many ways….Take a look below…..Then call 1-800-577-2276 or e-mail us at ece@coadinc.org.

CUSTOMIZED SCHOOL AGE SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR:

Parents:
• We provide information about the characteristics of quality school age programs
• We offer questions to ask when choosing a program
• We provide information about types of school age programs
• We assist in locating school age programs
• We can talk through parent/provider issues to help you work through problems
• We offer parent education sessions relative to school age children

Caregivers, Providers, Teachers:
• We assist new or existing school age care programs by providing information on
- Licensing
- Funding
- Expansion
- Improvement
- Quality standards
- Community Involvement
• We coordinate and/or provide training opportunities on a variety of school age topics
• We provide a FREE listing in our database of providers that meet basic standards
• We provide parent referrals to your program, saving you advertising costs / maintaining enrollment
• We provide FREE technical assistance on school age characteristics, developmentally appropriate practices, curriculum, program management, staff development and other related topics
• We provide a FREE Resource Lending Library with items on OST administration, OST curriculum, child guidance, special needs and other topics of interest
• We provide consultation services and training on health, safety, child development, activities, and nutrition issues

Communities:
• We provide presentations to community groups, organizations, school personnel, parent groups and others to inform them of the benefits of and the need for quality school age care
• We can facilitate a meeting of interested community members, parent, school personnel and others who want to establish an Out of School time care program
• We can provide local data and information on school age care costs, benefits, etc.
• We can keep parents, child care providers and community informed about school age issues
• We advocate for quality school age care on behalf of children and families

What Is Quality School Age Care? (Click here for an easy print out of these Parent tips)
• A caring provider who interacts positively with children and offers a variety of challenging activities
• Opportunities for children to expand their knowledge by exploring topics of interest
• Space for free play, group play, and individual activities
• A flexible schedule which allows children to choose from a variety of experiences
• Supervision that allows children to develop independence and be safe too
• Activities that foster a positive self image
• Providers who recognize the ever-changing developmental needs of the school-age child and plan accordingly

Questions To Ask:
What kind of activities do my children enjoy most?
Are age appropriate activities planned for the children?
Is there a daily schedule posted for you to see?
What is the discipline policy? Is it similar to yours?
Can you see the license posted?
What are the staff’s qualifications?
What snacks are provided? Is the menu posted?
What is the staff child ratio?
Does the program allow for change? Is it flexible?
What are the drop-off and pick-up procedures?
Are parents welcome anytime?
Is care available when school is closed? Does is cost extra?

LOOKING FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE?
We have 3 ways to help you.
CALL US (1-800-577-2276) I SEARCH ONLINE I EMAIL US

Click HERE to sign up as a Children's Advocate

COAD Programs: Early Care and Education: School age kids activities and options for care