After-school care arrangements and maternal employment: A study of the effects on third and fourth grade children

Abstract

A comparison was made of third and fourth grade children receiving three different types of after-school care in an Australian inner-city setting: Children in parental care whose mother was not in paid employment; children in parental care whose mother was in paid employment; and children attending an after-school care center for at least two hours two days weekly. No differences were found between the three groups on measures of self-esteem, anxiety, social status, life skills competence or academic achievement. These findings suggest that, at least for this age group and in this setting, there is no deleterious effect of after-school center care as compared with parental care.