Child-Care Woes Heat Up in Summer : O.C. Schools Are Out, and Parents Seek Good Substitutes

Lee and Lauri Batterman of Fountain Valley know about working parents, preteen children and summer. Every morning at 6:30 they set out for work leaving behind their children, 13-year-old Bryan and his 11-year-old sister, Regan.

This summer, they made sure both qualified for the seven-week Huntington Beach junior lifeguard program and that both knew how to ride the bus there and back.

“The program is not inexpensive,” Batterman said, “but least I know where they’re at.” Yet even so, she said “you worry about them all the time.”

The Battermans are not alone. Thousands of working parents in Orange County are finding themselves struggling to find ways to keep their preteen children occupied, particularly during the summer.

When school is in session, working parents only have to fill the hours between the time classes end and the parents come home, whereas in the summer they find themselves patching together a network of activities--day camps, summer school, clubs, vacations--to keep their children busy all day long.

Not all parents can be as fortunate as the Battermans in finding or affording supervised activities for their children. All too often, experts say, the limited number of these programs and the cost of those that are available mean that many children are left to fend for themselves.

Problem for Others

Some spend the long days at shopping centers or parks. Others are dropped off by their parents at city or county libraries, turning those facilities into makeshift day-care centers--a problem that authorities say has become increasingly common.

And although no one is sure just how many, it is believed that thousands every summer are “latchkey” children, entrusted by their parents to spend the day at home alone or, as is often the case, being made sitters for younger brothers and sisters.

The plight of latchkey children was tragically highlighted last week in the death of Omar Jimenez, an 8-year-old Santa Ana boy who died in a freak accident at his home while his parents were at work.

Police said it appeared that Omar had forgotten his key and was trying to climb through a window on the side of his house when the window fell on him, crushing him.

Nancy Noble, child care coordinator for the city of Irvine, said the lack of affordable child care, particularly for children in the preteen years, has become a crisis in Orange County. And “in summertime, it becomes really awful,” Noble said.

The Orange County Department of Education estimates that half the 73,783 children in grades four through six have working mothers.

Rebelliousness Cited

A recent survey by the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 5% of children ages 5 to 14 nationwide are on their own after school, and that the proportion rises to 13.2% in the summer. It appears that the older the children, the more likely they are to be left alone.

Authorities say parents are more likely to risk leaving children older than 8 alone because they appear mature and often rebel at being “baby-sat.”

“That age group--fourth through sixth grade--are on the verge of all kinds of things: potential drugs, being molested or abducted, crime, vandalism,” Noble said.

“A lot of times single-parent families are doing the best with what they have,” said Eric Bianchi, an investigator with the Irvine Youth Assistance Program. “They’re just crossing their fingers when they go to work that their 9- or 10-year-old doesn’t get into trouble.”

Usually, there’s no problem, Bianchi said, “but in case of an emergency, it’s not very safe for the younger kids.”

Rules Vary

The requirements regarding the ages of children who must be supervised vary from city to city. Most law enforcement agencies, however, agree that “anyone 10 or younger should be supervised,” said Bob Malmberg, supervisor of the Orange County Child Abuse Registry. “Some cities allow as low as 8 if they know how to call 911 or know the phone where their parents can be reached or show that they are responsible. . . .

“But even with the very bright ones, kids under 16 should not stay overnight without supervision,” Malmberg added.

Few cities operate full day-care programs designed to meet the needs of working parents, said Nancy Claxton, administrator for the Child Development Program of the Orange County Department of Education.

The county and private organizations such as the YMCA, YWCA, Boys clubs and Girls clubs have been expanding their hours to meet the need.

However, many programs for children older than 8 are “drop-in,” meaning the children are supervised but free to leave. Claxton said that one parent who tried this put her daughter back into full day care after the girl left the drop-in program, climbed a fence and went swimming with friends in a stranger’s pool.

‘Emotional Decision’

“It’s a tough area for parents to make a decision,” said Pat Halberstadt, executive director of the Garden Grove Girls Club. “There’s a financial decision, but mostly an emotional decision when they think their children are able to be on their own.” The club hastily assembled a program for preteens this summer because so many parents wanted one.

In Fullerton, a summer recreation program with expanded hours now draws 120 children, up from 40 three years ago, said Ron Hagan, director of community services. Seventy percent of them arrive at 7 a.m. when it opens and are there until 6 p.m. when it closes.

Single mother Marcia Gibbons said she is using her savings to pay the $70 a week it costs to keep her son Christopher, 10, in the program because, she says, he is too young to stay alone.

Fullerton’s program is subsidized, but other such summer programs can run more than $100 a week.

“What do you do with those parents who can’t or won’t pay? Their kids are on the street,” Hagan said.

Alone Twice a Week

One Placentia mother said she started allowing her 12-year-old daughter to stay home alone two days a week this summer but that the girl stays with a sitter on the other days.

“She feels she’s too old to go to a sitter, but I don’t think she’s old enough to stay home either,” the woman said. Still, she said, she feels uncomfortable leaving her daughter at home for a whole day. She sometimes comes home for lunch and takes her daughter and friends to the mall or to a movie for the afternoon.

So many unsupervised children now spend time in libraries that the Orange County Public Library system has drafted specific policies to deal with latchkey children. Library officials said that at least several times a month, parents will fail to pick up children after the 9 p.m. closing time.

In such a case, two staff members wait with the child while the parents are called. If someone does not arrive to pick up the child in 10 minutes, the police are notified.

Children left alone after dark are sometimes frightened, librarians said.

Kids Bringing Kids

Trudy Schroeder, children’s coordinator at the McFadden branch library in Santa Ana, said children walk over during the summer from the apartments nearby to escape the heat or to see the Wednesday programs, but that many of those coming have no supervision at home.

“Children are getting younger coming alone,” Schroeder said. “The brothers and sisters are bringing the kids instead of the parents.” She said she has seen children as young as 3 come to the library without an adult.

“We are not baby-sitters,” she said. “But while they’re here, we provide a safe environment. The adults are very supportive.”

“I can understand why they’re left here--it’s so much better than the local video arcade,” said Emily Jackson, program administrator for the Orange County Public Library. “But parents need to remember this is a public place, and in any public place, there’s always the possibility of child abuse with any small child.”

Jackson added that “a lot of people assume latchkey children are very poor people. But a lot of children have two parents working two jobs who drive very nice cars and show up a little late.”

Hanging Out at the Mall

Those ending up at the local mall can be seen visiting video arcades, watching movies or simply hanging around with friends.

On a recent Monday afternoon, two 9-year-old girls were roaming the Westminster Mall pretending that they were sisters.

“We don’t stay in one spot,” said one, who said she had $12 in spending money for the day. “We look for stores for us.”