Many parents do not know where their teenage children go when lessons finish, according to a survey that shows a lack of after-school activities is putting youths at risk of turning to crime. Thousands of secondary pupils — some as young as 11 — are left to wander the streets after school because there are so few child care places, the report claims today. The study, by 4Children, a children's charity, and Karen Buck, a Labour MP, says a lack of facilities for 11- to 14-year-olds puts many at risk of boredom and temptation into crime. It reveals that 80 per cent of mothers of older children have a job and that a third of teenagers regularly come home to an empty house. Half of the parents in the survey said they do not know where their teenagers are, who they are with or what they are doing when they are not in school. The problem is set to worsen when lone parents with children over 11 must return to work from October next year. There will be one child care place available for every 200 children in Britain. As many as 650,000 children may be looking for somewhere to go until their parents come home from work. "As the darker evenings draw in, more families than ever worry about the welfare of their children," the report says. "Both parents work in around 77 per cent of families with older children, so the fact that office hours and school hours just don't fit is a daily worry for many, with additional difficulties arising during the long school holidays." Most parents can find help with child care for younger children, but those with older children often have to leave them home alone or patch together arrangements with family and friends. The report adds: "While it is clear that children need a different kind of care and supervision as they grow up, most parents do not believe that 11- to 13-year-olds are old enough to look after themselves. "Safe, reliable and supervised environments providing great things to do would appeal to parents and children alike. Sadly, few places like this are available, leaving parents to worry and children to a latchkey existence. " The report makes several recommendations for putting in place new support for younger teenagers, such as youth clubs available after school and during holidays while parents are at work. Anne Longfield, the chief executive of 4Children, added: "With little after-school support available for children of 11 to 14 and research showing this is a time when children can go off the rails, it seems unfair that parents are often left to juggle the balance between work and their family life unaided." | 
