One alternative to latchkey is encouraging kids to take up an after-school activity. This helps keep them active and safe, rather than waiting at home alone for their parents to return for the day. After-school activities like marching band and sports typically hold practice each day following classes for at least two hours. Additionally, after-school activities give students a chance to hone a skill or sport together with their fellow classmates.
Several schools, such as St. Sebastian Day School in Wisconsin, offer before- and after-school child-care services. P.A.L., or "Parents Alternative to Latchkey" is a safe and supervised day care center for children located on the lower level of the school. It's open from 6:30 to 7:55 in the morning before the school day begins and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. after school. Here, students are able to participate in hands-on art activities as well as gym activities and other games as they wait for the school day to begin or for their parents to pick them up after work.
Latchkey children are typically elementary-age. School days in elementary schools typically end later than those of high schools and middle schools. So one option for the parents of current latchkey kids is to hire a babysitter, who could be a trusted high school student, to watch over their kids anytime they may be alone at home. Compared to latchkey alternatives offered by schools and day care, this can be a much cheaper option. Plus, it could also give the child an older role model-type person to look up to.
According to USA Today, as of 2003, there were 5.4 million stay-at-home mothers in the United States. This is the most traditional latchkey alternative, where the mother plays a child-raising, housewife role and the father in the family is the breadwinner. Stay-at-home moms take the kids to school, pick them up from school and constantly supervise their activities when they're not in the classroom. However, this alternative to latchkey comes at the expense of the woman's career, at least until the children are old enough to responsibly be on their own for long periods at a time.