Latchkey Kids: Unlocking Doors for Children and Their Families

The past decade has seen a steady increase in the problem of unsupervised kids and its associated risks and dangers. The Second Edition of Latchkey Kids, offers a fresh outlook on this predicament and recommends future directions. Thoroughly updated with new research conducted between 1996-1997, the authors put the latchkey phenomenon in perspective and attempt to dispel common misconceptions. They detail a variety of alternative care programs that have been successfully implemented in many communities, including extended-day programs in public schools, neighborhood "block mothers," and after-school hotlines. Furthermore, they provide strategies for businesses, government, schools, and libraries that are indirectly faced with significant caregiving responsibilities. A new chapter focuses on high-risk children who experience self care, such as children with disabilities and children living in urban or impoverished neighborhoods. Additionally, the authors address the difficult issue of teenagers at home without supervision and the special problems that situation poses, including risk-taking with drugs, sex, and other dangerous behavior. This helpful guide is written for professionals in the fields of counseling, education, family studies, social work, and criminology as well as concerned parents with latchkey kids.