School’s ending, and parents in Iowa are wondering how on earth they’ll keep the kids occupied once they’re out of the classroom. Marla Scheffler with the Iowa Child Care and Early Education Network says thousands of families face the dilemma.They may choose a day or overnight camp, swimming lessons, and all the other kinds of things kids do in summertime. Scheffler says more Iowans face the daycare issue than in most other states. With one of the highest percentages of working parents in the country, we have 80-percent of families with a single parent or both parents working outside the home. The one thing that’s not wise is leaving them alone, as Scheffler says police tell counselors they see a rise in kids as petty criminals, and victims of crime, in the hours right after school ends…when they’re alone.Children that age are too young to have good decision-making skills, and must have adult supervision. She adds parents have a hard time paying for care, if they can find it at all. Scheffler says there are a wide range of options, from schools that extend their after-school programs to registered daycare providers. For help finding providers, Iowa State Extension can direct parents to the childcare referral agency in their region.
