Before and After School Care is so much more than just a care arrangement. It teaches children valuable skills they can take home with them at the end of the day. As a parent, you know how important is for your children to thrive in every way possible.

Here are some ways that attending OSHC encourages children to thrive:

Builds confidence

Before and After School Care provides an opportunity for children to take risks while still being fully supervised. When outside of the formal setting of the classroom, children feel there is more room to explore and experiment in areas that interest them. This can be particularly meaningful for those with learning difficulties, or for those who don’t typically thrive in a classroom setting.

Improves learning outcomes

OSHC makes learning fun. So fun, in fact, that most children don’t realise they are learning at all. At Before and After School Care the learning is centred around life-skills and extending on what is taught in the traditional classroom setting. The learning can be obvious such as receiving help with homework or school work: maybe even getting started on an assignment at after school care. It can also be subtler such as learning about sharing, building resilience, social skills or forming meaningful relationships. There might be access to technology, activities that teach new skills, or learning about the environment through exploration and play too.

Creates a sense of belonging

Children who attend Before and After School Care are part of a group unlike any other. Being able to mix with students of different ages and from different classes is not generally offered as an option during school time, and this creates special bonds and a strong sense of community. Children are likely to spend a lot of time with the adults who work at the OSHC service too, and this not only improves social skills but also creates a greater feeling of safety and belonging within the group.

Develops their interests and passions

Through the varied program of activities on offer at Before and After School care, children are able to develop their own interests and passions. If they love to draw, they can spend their time working on that skill. If they love cooking, coding, drama, sport or reading – there’ll always be time available to spend doing just that and maybe even extend on their skills while they’re at it too.

It’s easy to see that Before and After School Care is so much more than just a service. It’s a place where children can go to feel safe, supported and part of a unique and caring group of people. It’s where they can thrive.