We are in a childcare crisis in this country - a crisis that will ultimately effect every American citizen. Approximately 8 million school-aged children under the age of fifteen are left home alone or on the streets after school. This means that four million children between the ages of five and twelve, and four million thirteen and fourteen-year-olds, lack adult supervision on a regular basis. These children represent the future of this country. They have the potential to become leaders, teachers, artists, doctors, and scientists. However, without safe and appropriate care after school, these kids have a greater likelihood of developing behavior problems both in and out of school. They have an increased chance of becoming criminals, victims, drug users, and teenage parents. They also suffer from high rates of accidental injury and death.
Each weekday afternoon in America, the ringing of the bell signals not just the end of the school day, but the beginning of a time when millions of kids are left alone and unsupervised. For working parents, ensuring appropriate supervision for their children during the afternoon can be an extremely difficult challenge. As a result, latchkey kids can be found in urban, suburban, and rural communities where working parents, for a variety of reasons, are unable to arrange or afford a better alternative. Instead of being a time of growth and opportunity for these children, the hours immediately following the end of the school day are the most dangerous. These are the hours when children are most .
likely to commit or be the victim of crime. .
How do kids spend their time after school hours? Many are with relatives. Some .
are in day care. Others attend after school programs. In-home providers care for a few. Huge numbers are unsupervised and forced to take care of themselves. Unsupervised children fill their time in a variety of ways. Some watch TV and play video games.