As school time draws near, you must plan on what your child will be doing after-school. If they are young, then after-school care might be a necessity. While you could hire someone to take care of them at home, a better option might be to look into after-school care in your area.
Today, we’re going to look into the vital considerations that you should take into account when looking at after-school care. These questions will ensure that you are ready and have chosen the best program possible for your children and their needs.
Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Program
Is the Staff Professional and Caring? First, you need to take a look at the staff. If at all possible, you should talk to more than one staff member on more than one day. Taking a look at multiple staff members will allow you to get a better feel for the care situation and how professional the teachers are.
Is Supervision Adequate? Next, think about how many people are around on each day you visit. Are there enough teachers to keep the teacher-student ratio low? Will that ratio keep everyone safe and learning? These questions will help you determine if your child will be safe while waiting for you to pick them up.
Is There Enough Space? After asking yourself about the teachers, it’s time to look at the space. Based on the number of children enrolled in the space, think about how much room each will get for the activities that take place. Also, think about the decorations, restrooms, and quiet spaces and if those are up to your standards.
Is There Food? Children often need a snack after-school. In the program that you have chosen, do the children get nutritious food? Are they given access to water when they want it or is there a strict schedule that the children are required to follow.
What Resources Are Available? While having a safe place after-school is the primary concern of many that are looking for after-school care, there are other things that the child would love to have access to — for example, sports equipment, libraries, or media centers.
What Activities Are Planned? Ensuring that your child isn’t just going to be sitting around is vital. Having an after-school care program that plans activities based on age and theme will ensure that your child is learning and having fun even after-school. When you tour, make sure to take note on how the kids look. Are they enjoying this program?
Is the Theme Correct? Is what the program offers what you are looking for? If you want something that is only fun, you can find an after-school program that only teaches fun activities. On the other hand, if your child wants to get ahead, maybe looking for a program that focuses on academics is best.
Are There Both Group and Individual Activities? Having children work both together and apart teaches them valuable lessons each way. Having just one or the other can lead to an imbalance and either too much solitude or too much interaction.
What About the Holidays? On days where your kids don’t have school, can they come to the care early? Will they have to pay extra for that or is it included? Thinking about this ahead of time will ensure that you aren’t scrambling later.
Is there a Late Fee? If you have to pick up your child after the program is over, what will you be charged? Sometimes situations aren’t avoidable and knowing what the requirements are, will again, save stress later on.
Are there Options for Partial Care? If you have someone who will be watching the child a few days a week, do you have to pay for full-time care? This should be a question early on if you know that it will be your situation.
Cost? What will you pay for the care, food, personal tutoring sessions, fees, trips, and extra costs? Knowing the budget will help you plan and choose what program is best for you.
Thinking about all these factors will ensure that you are getting the best after-school care possible for your family and your child. If you are looking for an option in Boise, here is how ours works.
After-School Care at Bodies in Motion
Our before and after school care runs Monday through Friday. After school care is for kindergarten through 6th grade and runs from school pickup until 6:00 pm, with transportation from Boise schools, homework help and clubs. Before school care is for 1st through 6th grade and runs from 7:30 am until we take the kids to school.
On days when school is out, take a look at our camps, which run 9 am to 3 pm with optional before- and after-camp care. To see the space and meet the team, book a tour on the after-school care page or contact us.