Child Day Care in the Schools: The School of the 21st Century

The development and education of children in the United States is being increasingly compromised by a lack of coordinated high-quality services that accord with the changing needs of families. The School of the 21st Century is a school-based/school-linked program that promotes the optimal development of all children by providing high-quality services from the birth of the child through age 12. The model has been implemented in over 300 schools. This article discusses the rationale of the program, the use of the school in the delivery of support services, the model as it has been implemented in various communities, and the benefits as well as challenges associated with the expansion of the traditional mission of the school. Preliminary results of a three-year outcome evaluation are included.