My daughter will be an 11 year old sixth grader. Does any place in the Plainfiled area offer before or after school care? We are in school district 308.
Your best bet is to call your daughter's school and ask. They should be able to refer you to the types of places/care where other parents go.
Also, ask her friends'parents, especially those with older kids. There's nothing better than a personal recommendation!
Can you get her into a karate or gymnastic after school program?
Does your school offer a campfire program? here they have before and after care through campfire at the schools
Most child care facilities in Oklahoma don't offer care for kids this old. A 12 year old can go to work in a child care center as a teachers assistant so they are pretty much considered to be too old for child care.
I suggest you find a neighbor or friend who takes their kids to school at the same time and school or do the school's child care program. The local YMCA does ours at several local schools. The ones that don't offer the program in their building will transport the kids to the nearest school that does do it there.
Then the parents just pick them up at the different school. Our local school is one that does have the program there.
They have the kids come in, eat breakfast, go to classes. Then after school the kids come in, grab a snack then go play until parents pick them up. Most child care settings will not help the kids do homework because it is the parents job to make sure the kids do it correctly and to have that interaction with the kids. Not the after school care person. What if that person didn't have any idea what they were doing when they helped your child. Then your child would get F's on their homework. Your job, not anyone else's.
The daycare's around here I don't think keep kids once they are in 6th grade. I guess they figure they should be old enough to go home once they are that age. Granted not all are I realize. But you will probably have a hard time finding one that will. You might see if you can find a stay at home mom of one of her friends that might be willing to help you with her.
Do you have a Boys & Girls Club or a YMCA in your area?
They have great after programs.
Your best bet for info, would be your child's school, and other parents from that school. See what they do.
Also, at our area's middle school, the school itself, has an after school program for kids. It comprises of homework help and homework time, and organized play. It goes until like 5:30, at which time the working parents pick them up. And there is a cost per month.
But, not all Middle Schools, do this.
With Middle School, after school care and finding one, is harder.
These programs are mostly for younger elementary kids.
And even if there is a program at another site, not at the school, HOW do the kids even get there?
In my district, after school, I see these middle school kids just wandering around... and/or catching the bus home or walking to wherever. Or they are just loitering around. And/or, making trouble. I see it.
And some kids, even go hang out at the neighborhood McDonald's and this is their "babysitter." The workers there say, that these kids do that everyday, and then the parents pick them up at the McDonald's after work. Which can be even like at 6:00pm. So from after school, the kids are just there, at the McDonald's just hanging out.... and/or making trouble and loitering.
