Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation operates the After Hour Kid Power Program (formerly named Latchkey). After Hour Kid Power offers an after-school program, school break day camps, and summer camps for youth ages 5 to 13. It is licensed by Texas Health and Human Services.

Understanding the Context

Latchkey is Oklahoma's most trusted before & after school program. We offer a safe, fun environment where students get to be kids. In general, the term "latchkey" designates "those children between the ages of five and thirteen who care for themselves after the school day until their parents or guardians return home". The meaning of LATCHKEY is a key to an outside and especially a front door.

Key Insights

If you refer to a child as a latchkey kid, you disapprove of the fact that they have to let themselves into their home when returning from school because their parents are out at work. But what exactly is a latchkey kid? The term conjures images of children with house keys dangling from their necks, but it’s so much more than that. Latchkey kids are children who regularly spend time at home without adult supervision, typically due to parents’ work schedules or other commitments. Although the term "latchkey kid" first appeared in the 1940s to describe young children taking care of themselves after school while dad fought in the war and mom went off to work, the anxiety over latchkey kids really exploded in the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Final Thoughts

Latchkey child was a term coined to describe children who wore or carried house keys to school so that they could let themselves into their home when they returned from school.