After school program increasing to over $300 month!

Instead of "reaching" out to other parents, why not reach into your wallet and pay the fee of $300/month and stop being a tight fisted woman?

Why? Because of Fire dept codes and Health dept rules/regulations...

Actually this wouldn't work any way - they are into bartering by exchanging help at the services for the aftercare expenses - they used to be very accomdating especially with the members of the church and the teachers. I found out that the teachers now have to pay for aftercare as well. My daughter told me her classmate now stays in the 1st grade room after school with his mother while she finishes her work because they are now charging the teachers.

It is true the teachers get paid crap. If more money goes to the teachers I'd be able to deal with that a bit better, but since no info was communicated to us as to why the huge increase, it is difficult to support.

Because if I did reach into my wallet, I may not be able to feed my children. We are just making are monthly bills with our pay at this point in time. We do have some money saved for the rainy day - which I intend to use for this increase through the end of the school year.

However, I do consider this close to breaking a contract - prior to the beginning of the school year, we were quoted what the prices would be for the school year for aftercare. Changing the price mid-year is a breach of contract - maybe wouldn't necessarily stand up in court, however, one would think that Christians would stand by their word.

Nothing was communicated to us as to the why - so if this were the case, wouldn't it make more sense to change the policy in a different way - also I really don't think that this is an issue considering there are many more children in the school during the school day than in the aftercare program - including all the children in the gym prior to the start of the school day. If they can legally fit the entire study body in the gym prior to the start of the school day, then I would imagine that 1/4 of the student body would also meet these requirements within the gym and cafertia afterschool as well.

When I was a kid (aged 8 to 13), I just came home n relaxed after school.
My parents usually got home around 8 - 10 PM.

Sometimes, I hung around with friends in my naborhood.

It never cost ANYTHING.





David

My state allows each taxpayer to pay a gradated amount (based on one's gross income) for all internet/catalog purchases, under $1,000, where sales tax was not collected by the seller. This is paid each year, just in case I forgot a specific catalog purchase and I was not asked to pay state tax on. It is a specific "line" on the tax form; it is filled in each year with the appropriate amount correlating to my tax bracket. So, I am likely paying more state tax than I need to, especially since some years no such purchases are made, yet I pay the gradated amount. But, that could seem odd to some folks, since I, a Jew, am willing to pay more than I need to pay. It has to do with my gratitude for being a citizen of this country, even though I and my parents were born here.

You should "give me a break," since I was attempting to offer information to another poster, and you are gratuitously taking issue with my post. Please do not mind my business, since your innuendos about me I find offensive, since they imply I might not be the citizen I thought I was. I am not interested in your tax situation. You should not be interested in mine. Please refrain from further posting to me; I suspect we have little in common, i.e., I hope you had a Happy Chanukah. It is also the Christmas season, so go in peace and do not have repartee with me.

I wish I could - my kids have no way to get home. There are no buses it is over 5 miles away.

Woud taxis be cheaper than the prices that u have mentioned ??

I used to take cabs all the time, to get around in Phoenix, Arizona.
I still do (but not there).





David

Linket what kind of a charter does your church run under?

You might have a right as a member to look at their books for example.

There surely seem something strange going on here in any case.

Others ideas off hand get a meeting together of all concern parents over this matter as with numbers you had far more strength and find out the details of your church charter as you just might have more say in the operations of the school and the church then you think you do if you and the other parents/church members demand it.

Great ideas until someone drop a dime to the local child welfare department and she need to justify having unintended children at home.

This is no longer the 1950s.

Sorry but you have neither the moral right nor the power to tell someone else not to response to your postings on this website.

Robert in his great wisdom however allow you to place me in your ignore list so you personally will not see any of my replies to you or my replies to anyone else for that matter.

Your thin skin placed me under no obligation to you in any manner however.

Merry Christmas as David would say and Happy Holidays as an old atheist like myself would say.

Wishing for peace on earth and this website also even if both are very unlikely to occur.

My older daughter is 12 - children at this age babysit so I wouldn't worry about that - even so, I wouldn't want her to "babysit" her younger sister. My 12 year old is very responsible, but I do picture the sibling fighting going on if they were left alone. If I had some way to get the older one home, I'd consider having her stay home, while the younger stayed in aftercare.

I am not keen on her taking a taxi (not even sure if it would be allowed by the school - as they have a list of people that can pick up the kids for their own liability and the child's safety) as you never know who is driving the taxi and if they are a former sex offender or anything.

http://www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm

Latchkey Children Age Restrictions By State
The following table lists legal age restrictions for children left at home alone categorized by state within the U.S. Please note that city and county ordinances within each state may have more definitive and restrictive laws. Call your State DHS or local child welfare agency to learn about age guidelines in your area.



State

Minimum Age of
Home Alone Child

Reference

Alabama None Alabama Babysitting Laws
Alaska Unknown No Resource Found
Arizona None Arizona Department of Economic Security
Arkansas None Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect - Arkansas
California Unknown No Resource Found
Colorado 12 * Colorado Department of Human Services
Connecticut None State of Connecticut Attorney General's Office
Delaware 12 * Delaware Division of Family Services
Florida None Florida Eighth Judicial Circuit Family Court FAQ
Georgia None Georgia Department of Human Services
Hawaii None Hawaii Department Of The Attorney General
Idaho None Idaho Department of Health & Welfare
Illinois 14 University of Illinois Child Care Resource Service
Indiana None No Laws Govern Leaving Children Alone
Iowa None Iowa Department Of Human Services
Kansas 12 * Kansas Health & Environment
Kentucky None LAW & JUSTICE Children at Home Alone Nov, 2003
Louisiana None Louisiana Department of Social Services
Maine None Maine Kids & Kin
Maryland 8 Maryland Family Law
Massachusetts None Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
Michigan None Calhoun County Courts
Minnesota None Minnesota Dakota County Attorney's Office
Mississippi None Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Missouri None KRCG Latch-key limbo An Education Report 2006
Montana None Montana Child & Family Services
Nebraska 11 * Midwest Child Care Association
Nevada Unknown No Resource Found
New Hampshire None State Of New Hampshire Attorney General
New Jersey None NJ Department of Human Services
New Mexico None VogueSeattle.com Lawyer Answers
New York None New York Children & Family Services
North Carolina 8 NC Health & Human Services
North Dakota 9 * North Dakota CSCC (Kid's Council)
Ohio None The Cleveland Law: Home Alone Children
Oklahoma None Lawton PD - Guide For Working Parents
Oregon 10 City of Albany, Oregon FAQ
Pennsylvania None Pittsburg Post-Gazette.com article June, 2007
Rhode Island Unknown No Resource Found
South Carolina 8 * NBC Augusta.com
South Dakota None South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service
Tennessee 10 * Tennessee Juvenile & Family Court Judges
Texas None Texas Family & Protective Services
Utah None Children's Service Society of Utah
Vermont Unknown No Resource Found
Virginia None Virginia Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention
Washington 10 * Child Care Resources
West Virginia Unknown No Resource Found
Wisconsin 12 * Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin
Wyoming 12 * Wyoming Child Protective Services

* Guideline ONLY. These states do not set a specific age after which a child legally can stay home alone but do provide recommendations.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CARE Latchkey Kids

funny most of these are none. My oldest is 12 and that is the oldest listed any way. I wouldn't do that until she started school next year and then she would be very close to 13.

I would imagine that it couldn't be any older than 12 because according to the IRS you are no longer eligible for child care deduction on your tax return once your child turns 12.

Very very minor correction I think one state have an older age 14 or so if you would look once more. Not that it is a big issue even if you happen to be living in that state.

I shared your opinion that a normal 12 year olds should do just fine home alone however I also share the feelings that you also had expressed that the burden of looking after her younger siblings might be hard on her.

In any case I wish you the best and agree with you that your church/school actions is neither fair or logical on their face to you or the others parents.

Thank you, Bill - just hearing this from some one not directly involved helps. My husband and I are also looking at this as an opportunity to look forward - to open our range of where we may choose to live.

Once, I forgot my "latch" key.
I had to break a window to get in.





David

You're referring to IL, which doesn't allow children under the age of 14 to be unsupervised for "an unreasonable period of time"



Cases brought to trial have included parents leaving their under-14 year old children home alone while they took a vacation as an example.

Kids 12 (and under) routinely babysit for smaller children in IL.

Linkat -- this file has some good information on assessing readiness for kids being on their own.
www.state.il.us/dcfs/docs/alone.doc

Of COURSE, at age 12.
At age 8, I did just fine, as long as I had plenty of cash
and I was reasonably well-armed.





David