This document presents 17 philosophical statements regarding school-age care programs, staff, and challenges. The essence of school-age care is to understand childhood and to facilitate positive development. Because these programs provide a place where children have significant contact with adults within a multi-age peer group, they can teach peaceful living skills and facilitate positive youth development. Careful research must identify factors in quality school-age care programs. Although the field of school-age care has had a good history so far, it is now at a crossroads. To increase professionalism, college training, accreditation of sites, and licensing of providers are needed. Staff need competencies in social interaction and development; family dynamics; cultural, ethnic, and gender sensitivity; understanding play, child leadership; and handling special needs children. Staff must be in a partnership with the children in which children plan events and adults guide the process. Staff can be trained on a variety of levels; it is important to maintain the current diversity of backgrounds while identifying educational requirements. Staff need to consider the socialization opportunities within discrete interactions. The facilitation of positive development in children should guide program development and adult-child interactions. Challenges to school-age care programs include identifying the role and purpose of the field, developing a base of research, theory, and knowledge, stemming the high staff turnover rate, and beginning the education cycle. Finally, school-age care providers should be held to the principle of "in loco parentis," meaning "in place of the parents." (KDFB)