Importance of or benefits of afterschool childcare

Quality childcare in the United States has become not only expensive but increasingly difficult to find.  While most childcare programs are aimed at infants, school-going children still require quality care and that is where a good after school childcare program comes into play.
 
There are many benefits for both parents and kids who participate in after school childcare programs, ranging from improved health and safety to improved performance and productivity. As a matter of fact, many kids find after school childcare programs excellent places to go and unwind and prevent them from engaging in unproductive activities.

Let us look at some of the benefits of after school childcare programs:

1) It leads to improved academic performance and achievement - these programs have been proven to improve the academic performance of participating kids.  They report higher resilience when it comes to spending more time on their studies compared to children who don’t. It must be emphasized that these programs encourage a non-traditional way of learning and foster an unsupervised learning experience. This means that the child grows to become a responsible citizen who can learn on their own without waiting for their parents or teachers to tell them what to do.

2) It helps in improving public safety - Some children who come from impoverished areas end up taking drugs and engage in antisocial activities. So, these programs play a pivotal role in providing kids with alternative ways of spending their time after school. This has significantly reduced the risk of children engaging in street fights, drugs, premature sex, stealing and alcohol. At the same time, children become responsible, physically fit and alert.

3) It improves the overall fabric of the family and community - Children who participate in after school childcare have been reported to have stronger relationships with their family members and peers. Programs also help in building better social skills, confidence and self-esteem. Consequently, this helps the children in building better relationships with their peers and family members.

4) It helps in closing the socio-economic gaps - When children are allowed to intermingle with their friends, there is less social segregation. Children that come from struggling communities get the privilege of sharing safe parks, playing instruments, clubs and other stuff with children from rich families. This form of inclusion helps them to become optimistic about life.

5) Social and financial benefits - children that do not attend can cause havoc in the community. From breaking the neighbors windows to falling into wrong groups, your child could turn out to be a nightmare.  Day care programs are great places to take your child if you don’t want trouble from troublesome kids especially if you are very busy.