This book, addressed to the caregiver/teacher, is designed as a practical guide for planning a quality child-care program for children ages 5 to 12. It is divided into four sections. Section 1, The People in Child Care, gives an overview of child care and its participants. A variety of programs for school-age children are presented, covering a range from small family day care homes to extensive programs sponsored by local school districts. This section also presents a review of the growth and development of children during the years between age 5 and 12, and an outline of the characteristics of an effective teacher/caregiver. Section 2, The Background, covers basic organizational ideas such as budgeting, developmentally appropriate curriculum, and guidelines for planning indoor and outdoor space. Section 3, The Curriculum, offers suggestions for music, drama, science, physical education, and indoors and outdoors game activities, as well as ideas on how to manage difficult behaviors. The final section, The Community, offers suggestions on how to use community resources to enhance day care programs, and discusses some of the issues professionals, parents, and politicians continue to debate as they plan for school-age child care. Each chapter contains a reading list of related books. (AA)