So what are you doing after school?

As kids, we asked the question daily of our friends. Now as parents, we ask the same question of our peers— with the hopes of discovering the perfect post-academic-day option for our own children.

Suggestions from colleagues aside, after-school "perfection" is ultimately determined by each family’s unique dynamic. The need for supervision—if that need exists—is only one piece of the selection equation.

As parents, we have a broad variety of interests, concerns, and most notably, children. Our wishes regarding how those precious post-school hours should be spent are comparably varied.

When confronted with the myriad possibilities, parents are wise to prioritize the criteria by which they will rate their options.

According to research provided by the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to raise awareness of the need for universally accessible after-school programs, more than 14 million children in the U.S. are left unsupervised after school each day; creating a dangerous environment for the children and an anxiety-ridden one for their working parents.

Amy Trenz, a Richmond mother of two, understands that anxiety. Participating in an after-school program, she says, "gives you peace of mind that the kids are taken care of while you are still at work. [The programs] keep your kids safely occupied while parents are working—versus home alone doing who knows what."

Parents should do some sleuthing regarding the level of supervision their children will receive in the after-school programs they’re considering.

"In Virginia, licensed child care programs are required to maintain a staff-to-child ratio of one to 18," says Scott Williams, formerly a child care licensing inspector and operations consultant with the Virginia Department of Social Services, and currently child care director for the YMCA of Greater Richmond.

"At the YMCA, we provide at least one counselor for every 12 to 15 children in our care," Williams states. (To check if a facility is licensed, visit www.dss.virginia.gov/facility/search/licensed.cgi. However, many reputable facilities and programs, such as short-term after-school programs, do not require state licensure. In all cases, the best bet is to ask program leaders directly about staff ratios and safety measures.

For parents who crave more individual attention for their children than the state mandates, some care providers are attracting new participants by pointedly exceeding the minimum supervisor-to-student requirement.

Taking logistics into consideration, the easiest-to-navigate scenario is surely one that occurs within the school environment itself. Visit websites of area schools and you’ll discover various after-school offerings.

Richmond’s Linwood Holton Elementary posts: "School-sponsored afterschool programs include extended day for SOL (standards of learning) reinforcement and enrichment."

Holton and other schools also offer interest-based activities and academic betterment on the school campus, often led by third-party groups.

That type of collaboration pleases YMCA’s Williams. "I encourage parents to talk to their children’s school administrator about hosting a school-age childcare site at their school," he says. "When schools partner with school-age care providers, the children, families and communities benefit."

Public schools aren’t the only ones responding to the same-site demand. "I am primarily a work-at-home mom who uses after-school care (ASC) on days when I have a late class or meeting," shares Claudyne Jones, a Henrico mother of four whose eldest daughters attend St. Mary’s Catholic School. "At dismissal, the ASC children gather in the gymnasium for snack, then off to ‘homework room.’"

Sometimes off-site care providers make things easier by including transportation in their services.

"Ask your child’s school for a list of centers that offer transportation and visit them all," recommends another Henrico mother, whose two children attend Bundle of Joy. "Choose a center that makes the family feel comfortable and the child likes."

What prevents every parent from enrolling their children in an after-school program perfectly suited to their family’s supervision needs and their children’s interests?

Many respondents would declare, "It’s the economy, stupid." Maybe not so much in a nationally applicable way, but in making ends meet in the family checkbook.

Financial outlay for after-school programs can be a stumbling block, which goes a long way toward explaining the continued high numbers of "latch-key," or unsupervised, kids for those hours between school’s final bell and the dinner bell.

In order to facilitate more programs within schools, organizations often supplement them financially. "[In our experience], participants pay some portion, the PTA pays some portion," shares Carol Beth Buchanan, a Chesterfield mother of two.

After-school programs who register large numbers of children in need are also the recipients of charitable monies. "We maintain our high level of care through program fees and community support," says YMCA’s Williams.

Likewise, Miller says, the after-school programs of the BGCMR are funded through United Way and other grants and contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations.

Class may have ended for one day, but tomorrow is another. Many Richmond after-school programs are making sure their students’ academic needs are addressed on-site before they head home for the night.

"We involve Power Hour—a national homework program—a snack or meal, and a variety of programs daily," elaborates Miller.

As a parent, Jones appreciates the "routine" of her daughters’ after-school experience. "They get out of school, enjoy a healthy [program-provided] snack, do their homework and then go outside to play," she says. "They do have the option to stay inside and play games, do art or puzzles, and on rainy days, they play in the gym.

"The benefits are no TV, [and having] bonding time with friends and good old fashioned playtime," she continues. "Plus, when I get them home, we are not fussing over homework, or battling over too much pent up energy. We just enjoy good family time."

Facility directors are intentionally endeavoring to ease family stresses. Moore explains, "Parents can then finish their day at work with the peace of mind that their children are safe, happy and learning."

After completing their academic obligations for the following day, before heading home, most kids are ready for a little release—physically and socially. The "between" hours provide a window for exploring interests not (or minimally) addressed in school.

Even within an academically based after-school program, leaders agree on the value of giving kids some "hands-on" activity. Richmond Shakespeare Theatre finds the after-school model to be a successful way to give fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders a taste of the Elizabethan playwright.

"Students can get an introduction to a subject in an informal and fun way that they might not get during their regular school day," says Cynde Liffick, director of education with Richmond Shakespeare.

"Shakespeare is not usually taught in elementary school and it’s beneficial to me to have their first exposure to Shakespeare be in an informal, performance-based way, rather than sitting and reading it in the classroom."

Of course, Trenz’s kids got a hands-on experience at Martial Arts World in the West End. The after-school program "offered quiet time to get their homework done and then they took a class," she shares. "It’s not considered ‘day care,’ but real classes where they work toward earning a belt." In addition, she says, the program offered "life skills" and the participants and instructors became like "an extended family."

"Our school-agers at Primrose have also headed up a number of philanthropic activities, including our annual ‘Penny Pail’ event," she explains. "Children did extra chores, earning money which they put in buckets by their classrooms. [They] sorted and counted this money, and spent part of their spring break shopping for groceries which they delivered to the Central Virginia Food Bank. The children learned how they can make a difference in their community."

The pejorative notion that after-school programs are merely a form of "babysitting" is an outdated one. Program providers are making every effort to meet the requirements of modern parents. Supply is following demand.

"Parents appreciate having different options and the ability to search for the right fit for their family. Having a program implemented by quality, professionally trained staff is also a huge benefit," states BGCMR’s Miller. "Most importantly, knowing that their child is in a safe, positive and structured environment while they are at work is very comforting."

Just Between You and Me If after-school programs are to be all that they can be, responsibility dwells beyond the provider. Just as it’s important for parents to communicate with their children’s teachers and school staff, they should maintain an open relationship with after-school staff. Parents should “become a partner” with their child’s care provider, recommends Scott Williams, child care director for the YMCA of Greater Richmond. “Attending events and participating in the program as a volunteer will strengthen the program and enhance their child’s experience.” Take your child’s participation seriously. Don’t schedule appointments or other conflicts during after-school program time, stresses Cynde Liffick, director of education for Richmond Shakespeare Theatre. “Time is very precious,” she says, “and especially when students are working to do a performance, it is important that they work together. Be aware of what students need to work on between sessions and monitor that.” Carol Beth Buchanan, a Chesterfield mother of two children who love Mad Science after-school programs, agrees. “[Parents need to] keep their commitment to having the child go to all the sessions if at all possible.”