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Recreation Programs, Clubs & After School Activities
These activities can range from a lunch program or after school activity at the child's school, to a spring break program at the local recreation centre. If your child attends school, you will want to check with the principal or teacher to find out about the extra-curricular activities that are available at the school site.
In some cases, the primary purpose of these informal programs is not "custodial". That is, they are recreational or enrichment activities. Sometimes availability is not as consistent as a program whose primary purpose is child care. In addition, some of these programs may operate on a voluntary, drop-in basis without formal attendance taken. In other programs, attendance is monitored and availability of the program is very reliable because the organizers intend that the program will meet a child care need. Some of these programs offer summer camps and programmes during school breaks.
In addition to the suggestions in How to Choose Child Care, if you are considering this kind of program to meet your child care needs, you will want to consider the following:
- How will your child be transported to and from the program?
- Is attendance monitored?
- Is the parent notified if the child does not arrive?
- What is the group size?
- How many staff? What screening, qualifications and experience?
- What kind of activities take place?
- What are the hours of the program? Is it consistently available?
- Does the program provide an appropriate level of care for your child's stage of development?
Further information about these child care options can be obtained from Child Care Information Hamilton. Some of the providers of these kinds of programs are listed below:
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