European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Patty Zeitlin who writ it children i Longi hoi Iem musical fun with her Day care group in Santa Monica Calif. Who should finance after school care new York times a s More. Parents turn to Day car programs to supervise their children beforehand alter school education an government officials in the United states Are debating who will shoulder the costs and responsibilities estimates of the number of children who face empty houses after school commonly called Latchkey children now Range from 2 million to 15 million and census Bureau officials say a pending study is expected to put the number at 4 million. The number appears to be growing along with a Rise in single Parent families and the number of women working outside the Home. Many not for profit groups have been Active in caring for these children and school districts have begun to expand Latchkey programs. The programs now being offered Are varied and can include study periods organized games plays and Talent shows. Many groups Are also starting to offer Telephone numbers that Young children can Call if they become afraid while Home alone. Local state and National government agencies often subsidize part of the costs of such programs but in Many cases their contributions have decreased and parents have had to pay an increased share. The debate on financing the school age care programs has come to focus on the role played by local school districts. A More Tchou begin to study the Issue local school officials have become increasingly uncomfortable with expanding the customary role schools play in educating children and have begun to protest that the financial Burden of the care programs is onerous and interferes with the schools primary Mission. Depending on the program annual costs can Range irom a few Hundred dollars a child to several thousand dollars. School systems will not Bear the Brunt of Latchkey costs " said or. Paul boranian director of Community educational services for the Minneapolis Board of education which recently halved its Latchkey programs. These Are not mandated costs he added in comment echoed by other educators. Our mandate is kindergarten through 12th Grade. Concrete figures on the number of children participating in Latchkey programs Are not available child care experts said. Michelle Seligson. Director of the school age child care project at the Wellesley Center for research on women at Wellesley College said that tens of thousands of programs exist around the country but added that no organization had counted them or estimated their total Cost. School districts looking to governments or businesses for financial assistance often find Strong interest in school age care and Are Able to  Money for Start up costs but not Long term support. The Reagan administration has emphasized its View that the Issue is a local one and that the Federal government should not play a key role in financing programs. Dorcas r Hardy the assistant Secretary for human development services in the department of health and human services said parents were generally satisfied with the care their school aged children received. She said however that her department was researching the Issue and working to develop possible programs. I do not see this Issue As one that needs Large direct Federal involvement Hardy said. It should be handled on a local level clearly with the participation of  a year ago Congress passed and president Reagan signed a Bill that authorized the expenditure of $20 million Lor Latchkey programs. However the administration did not seek funds for the programs the dependent care Block Grant in its supplemental 1985 or 1986 appropriation requests. Many proponents of the legislation say the Block Grant will never receive financing. Rep. George Miller. D-Calif., who is chairman of the House select committee on children youth and families said the debate was no longer Over the need for child care. The  he said is How to expand the availability of child care and gel financial  we should not argue Over what percentage is the Federal or local share he continued because what is Clear is that unless we have the cooperation of All Levels of government and the private sector we can t come close to meeting the  my govern Mantl Are at loggerheads Over the Issue As Well. In California for instance. Gov. George Deukmejian has twice vetoed Bills to finance school age care programs including one measure that would have provided $100 million. Wednesday november 13, 1985 some school districts however Are moving to my the need. The new York Board of education has announced a plan to keep the City s school buildings open to Community groups without charge Lor alter school and summer programs. The plan which involved a new contract with the custodians Union will Cost the Board about $5.6 million a year. Other school districts have been unwilling to Avenue that kind of Burden however. Or. Sheila b. Kamerman. A professor of social policy at Columbia University and that in most cases schools Are Balking at providing school facilities for free to Community groups. They Are saying. We Don t have the Money to pay for this " she added. In Minneapolis when the Boardo education Lom its subsidies in 1982 for its 19 school age care programs. 10 of the programs closed because parents could not afford to Bear the costs boranian said he added that those costs come to about $ 130 a month per child for before and after school care five Days a week the Minneapolis programs which had served 1.900 children now work with 750 children. What happened to the poor kids boranian asked. The re gone the poor Are gelling  in Montclair. . The Board of education ,1 1977 started two before and after school programs at i he elementary school level at no charge to Parent. But in 1981. The Board lost the Federal financing it ha.1 been using for the programs said or. Mary Lee Fitu Jerald. The superintendent of schools. The District continued the free programs Lor two years at a Cost of about $30.000 to $50.000 a year to taxpayers before charging a fee of 50 cents an hour per child. Somebody has to assume this  Fitzgerald said. But it should t be the local taxpayer. This is an auxiliary service required by a Small group of parents that is not a regular part of the educational program. Consequently the local taxpayer has every right to ask Why Are you requiring me to support this " Many proponent of Latchkey programs Are looking Lor funds from private businesses and charities. Large corporations such As ism at & t and Polaroid have recently started to help finance Day care programs generally Tor their employees babies and preschool children. But corporate spokesmen say school age child care is not High on their list of child care concerns. The stars and stripes Page 13