When children reach third, fourth or fifth grade, something shifts in many families.
Parents, looking at their slightly older, more independent child, think, “They’re old
enough.” Old enough to get on and off the bus. Old enough to spend a couple hours
alone. Old enough to entertain themselves until mom or dad gets home from work.
It’s an understandable conclusion. But I believe we’re underestimating what older
elementary school students truly need after school.
The conversation around after-school care has often focused on supervision. Do
younger children have a safe place to go until their parents finish work? That’s an
important question, but we also need to ask what children need after school. The
answer isn’t a screen in an empty house. It’s connection and a place to belong.
We see it in our own enrollment data. Participation in afterschool programs begins to
decline after second grade when more third, fourth and fifth graders start going home
alone. At the same time, we know screen time increases and outdoor play declines for
those kids, and they may miss out on participating in afterschool sports, clubs, arts and
other enriching activities.
There’s also the issue of what students might encounter while home alone. An online
gaming community can connect them with strangers posing as friends. A group text can
quickly become cyberbullying with no trusted adult nearby to help them navigate. They
may encounter content, conversations or situations that require judgment they’re still
learning to develop.
This isn’t an argument against technology. Screens have their place. Parents need tools
to get dinner on the table or finish the workday. But screens shouldn’t become the
default environment for childhood every afternoon.
Children this age still need connection. They need adults who know them. They need
friends, mentors, creative outlets, physical activity and opportunities to discover new
interests. They need to belong somewhere. Somewhere real. Somewhere positive.
Somewhere safe.
At the same time, we can’t ignore the economic reality many families face. Quality
afterschool care means nurturing, attentive staff, diverse enrichment opportunities, healthy snacks, engaging outdoor spaces and academic support – and quality care can
feel prohibitively expensive to many families, especially for multiple children.
When parents are sending kids home alone after school, not out of choice but out of
financial necessity, it points to a larger issue than a scheduling gap. To these families, I
say, “don’t give up”; Financial supports are available. Indiana offers Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers to offset the costs of afterschool programs, and
while there is currently a waitlist, we still encourage families to apply. Ask if your
employer offers a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA), which lets you
set aside pre-tax dollars from your paycheck to pay for afterschool care. And talk to your
desired program – many have assistance options. At AYS, for example, we offer sliding-
scale fees based on household income as well as multi-child discounts.
Ultimately, this isn’t about whether a child is mature enough to spend two hours alone.
It’s about recognizing the value of some of the most important hours in a child’s day and
imagining what’s possible when we invest in them.
We should expect more than simply keeping children occupied until dinner. We should
create opportunities for all children to keep learning, exploring, creating, building
friendships and discovering who they are – long after the school bell rings.
