You child’s school, public or private, will likely offer after-school programmes. Many public schools only offer these on a lottery basis as they don’t have enough room for all pupils. This is made worse by the fact that schools may make additional money by enrolling students from another school.

If your child cannot join a programme, look into the possibility of getting on the waiting list for the following year. In the meantime, you can find reasonable after-school activities at your local park or YMCA (www.ymcala.org). They may be interest based, academic or purely social. The costs vary and may include some financial assistance, but, for example, a YMCA programme could cost $25 a day, instead of the $100 you will pay for a babysitter.