Abstract

The present study was designed to identify factors related to nine- to twelve-year-olds' desire to drop out of after-school programs, as well as to examine the factors related to their satisfaction. While some researchers have demonstrated that older school-age children may prefer to go home alone after school (Cloutier, 1990; Fink, 1986), others have clearly indicated the potential negative consequences associated with self-care (Vandell & Ramanan, 1991; Posner & Vandell, 1994; Long & Long, 1982; Steinberg, 1986). One hundred and eleven children participated in the present study, from thirteen participating school-based child care programs. Children's desire to drop out and their satisfaction was assessed via a questionnaire designed using a compilation approach. Parental satisfaction was also assessed via questionnaires and information on directors and educators was collected. The quality of the school-age care programs was measured using the School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (Harms, Vineberg-Jacobs & Romano-White, 1996). Data pertaining to the children's desire to drop out, the actual drop out rate during the course of the study, as well as the returning rate for the following year were obtained through parental phone interviews. Results indicated that the most important factors related to children's desire to drop out were age and the presence of friends. Gender, materials used at the centre, the reasons why children attended the centre and children's satisfaction were also important factors when examining children's desire to drop out. Quality was a significant factor, but not in the original direction stated in the hypothesis.