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Before and After School: Literature Review about Australian School Age Child Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 August 2016

Jennifer Cartmel  and
Amy Hayes
Jennifer Cartmel*
Affiliation:
School of Human Services and Social Work, Menzies Institute of Health Queensland, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland, Australia
Amy Hayes
Affiliation:
School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Jennifer Cartmel, School of Human Services and Social Work, Menzies Institute of Health Queensland, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland, Australia. E-mail: j.cartmel@griffith.edu.au
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Abstract

One in three Australian children attend school-age childcare. School Age Care (SAC) services have increased to meet the growing demand for children to have somewhere safe to go before and after school while their parents work. SAC services have continued to grow in size, but are still considered a “care” rather than “education” service. This literature review highlights some current features of Australian SAC childcare sector. Key features detailed include the growth in service usage and the particular organisation types that characterise the sector. Other themes identified relate to parent expectations, venues, workforce needs and children's wellbeing. This literature review advocates for more research about the SAC sector.

Keywords

school age childcareSACworking parentspoliciesresearch
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 41 , Special Issue 3: CARING FOR CHILDREN OUTSIDE THE HOME – FROM INSTITUTIONS TO NATIONS , September 2016 , pp. 201 - 207
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

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