Whether you need an hour of coverage in the mornings, time after school, or both, picking the right extended care environment for your child is a critical decision.  There are many factors that go into making the right choice for your child.

Your child’s personality, temperament, independent academic capability, and socilization skills will factor into their “fit” within a given program.

Websites like Winnie.com, Care.com, childcare.gov and others offer resources as does your State’s Licensing Department.

Every family and every child will have varying needs and preferences.  In the end, the factors that are most important to your family will ultimately guide your choice.   While some of the details will vary slightly due to individual State licensing requirements, below are some important factors to consider.

What are the hours of the facility and what are their late fees?

The hours of operation of a facility may be the biggest factor you have to consider.   Programs based in public school buildings are typically limited by the hours the building is open.   Private programs have more flexibility.   Late fees are common in the childcare industry – additional staffing costs are a reality and most states require two staffers be present (for safety) even if only one child is present.   Make sure you understand what “late” means and what you will be charged if you are late.   Tiered systems (say every 15 minutes late) are common.    It’s important to know what the center’s policy is and how it is implemented so there are no surprises.

Children all develop at different rates (physically, emotionally, and intellectually) in their early years.   As they transition to school they become “School Age” in the eyes of the states that license daycare centers.   School age ranges from Kindergarten typically to 6^th grade (13 years old).    You should ask a prospective care provider how they manage and group the children – when are they together, separated, and based on what criteria? (age/grade, size, for example.)   Programs that do not offer age-based segregation may be problematic for younger children.   What a 6^th grader knows and talks about with peers may not be suitable for kindergarteners, bullying can be an issue in large groups of mixed ages, and the shear difference in physical size can lead to injury in activities and games.   For older students, being mixed in with “little kids” can lead to resistance to attendance and acting out.    Facilities that are traditionally pre-schools, that offer after school care are typically truer to the pre-school programming than a dedicated extended care program, and thus may not be optimal for school age children.