The goal of an engaging curriculum is not to keep children busy, happy, and occupied until their families arrive. The goal is to develop a program that supports the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the children. This planning guide provides a framework for planning. It requires that the staff of these programs work together with the children and youth to develop a program with enriching environments, positive relationships, and engaging experiences.

It is within this holistic approach that we are able to establish program environments that invite and encourage active involvement. A program where SAC community supports the development of positive self image and peer interaction. A program where children and youth have the opportunity to explore the arts, sports, their community through fieldtrips, and to chance to give back to their larger community through service projects.

This is dedicated to the caring professionals in the field of SAC.

Laurie Ollhoff

Excerpt from Chapter One, What is the Purpose of School-Age Care?

 
School-age care is a place for growth, nurture, and life skill development.
It is a sad fact that, as a nation, we are losing our children in sizable numbers. Everyday, children and youth experiment with at-risk behaviors and begin negative developmental pathways. The school-age care professional can be a powerful force for the child's growth.

School-age care is to facilitate positive development in children.
Professionals in SAC are in the premiere place to guide and mentor the optimum development of life skills. No adult in the child's life is in a better place to be attentive to the child's growth and, when necessary, intervene so that the child continues to learn and grow.

School-age care teaches social skills and life in a community.
School-age care is a microcosm of community. All the things that happen in life, happen in school-age care. As adults, we will need to get along with others, resolve conflict, communicate effectively, cope with disappointment, and take responsibility for our own actions. These social skills are learned, to a large degree, in childhood. The learning of social skills doesn't "just happen." We must be intentional about teaching these skills.

School-age care is a place to learn peaceful living skills.
When we lose a child or youth to delinquency, addiction, or other life-destroying problems, we not only lose a future productive citizen; we also add to our costs by trying to rehabilitate the child, and by protecting the rest of society from the destructive influences.

School-age care is a network of families, schools, care providers, and the community to build a safety net for children.
School-age care professionals should be critical partners in facilitating the positive development of children and youth. Parents cannot do it alone. Schools cannot do it alone. But all of the community's influences—together—can create an environment where children have a better chance to grow up positively.

School-age care plays a part in the efforts of the community to ensure our future.
If our society does not have the systems in place to ensure the next generation's work force, then we can not secure our future. We are assured a societal future by having children with peaceful living skills, who will grow into productive adults. We not only support the current work force, we develop its future.

School-age care programs are intentional.
Quality school-age care programs don't happen by accident. They are intentionally constructed by people who have a vision for quality and a passion for children. They are socially and recreationally rich programs that provide children the opportunity to practice real-life skills.

Excerpt from Chapter Two, What Children and Youth Need

I believe that the discussion about what the purpose of school-age care ought to begin with the question, "what do children and youth need." This is not a discussion about children want, but rather, what they need from their participation in an after-school program. Their needs drive our programs, not their wants.

Do children always know what they need? Of course not. Can they give us insight into their needs? Of course! But when a huge chunk of the socialization process, namely out-of-school time, is focused on what children want, then children's perception of the world and of themselves becomes skewed.

The opposite error is to suggest, "adults always know what children need." This view suggests that since children don't know what they need, and adults do, then adults should make all the decisions for the children. This view can lead to viewing children as objects that can and should do the bidding of the omniscient adult. If this happens, we will fall into an adult-child relationship where the adults do 99% of the talking, telling, and commanding. We can justify our behavior based on our assumption of the children's needs. When we see children in a role of recipient of our good intentions, it's possible that we send hidden messages about their lack of worth.

Our goal is that children and youth will become their own best resource. In other words, our program design and our adult-child interaction intentionally nurture children's skills and abilities. During out-of-school time children need to be a part of a program that is developed with them—not at them. These co-evolving programs (developed with both children and adults) are staffed with professionals who are skilled in how to guide children to a positive view of their limitless possibilities for their future.

In broad strokes, we can categorize children's needs into five foundations.

Empowerment: Children and youth need to feel respected; to feel invited to contribute; to feel valued; to feel emotionally and physically safe; to feel a sense of ownership; to have dignity; to know they belong; to have a place to practice their voice; to share their ideas; to talk about who they are and who they want to become. Children and youth need adults who will listen; who will guide, rather than judge; who care enough to get to know them as individuals; who will care enough to mentor their skills.

Play: Children and youth need a playful, accepting community; a positive atmosphere where coping strategies are taught; an environment where curiosity is taught and nurtured; a place where problem solving, risk taking, persistence, and motivation are keys to life of learning and fun. Children and youth need adults who know that children's play becomes a window to their world; who have an ability to connect with the world of children; who can play themselves.

Community Building: Children and youth need their school-age care community to celebrate their contributions; to recognize traditions from within the community; to experience of love, care, and acceptance that are heard daily; to understand life is not always about "me," it's also about "we." Children and youth need adults who can build a trusted community; who can teach the skills of collaboration and team work on a daily basis.

Maturity: Children and youth need programs that can teach them to think beyond themselves; where their self esteem will be enhanced through interactions with others; where they can develop social skills and the ability to make and maintain friendships. Children and youth need adults who respect themselves and others in a non-judgmental, no-strings-attached pattern.

Self-Discipline: Children and youth need programs where skills of self-control are taught, practiced, and role modeled; where skills of calming oneself and accepting oneself are practiced; where children can set boundaries for themselves and are allowed to practice those boundaries. Children and youth need adults who can practice the skills of responsibility and self management; who can teach the skills of responsibility and self-management—not simply assume that children "come with those skills."