Are Parents Satisfied? Chinese Parent Satisfaction of After-school Child Care Service in Public Elementary School

The issue of after-school care and safety for children has become increasingly important due to the discrepancy between the working hours of parents and the school release times of their children in urban areas of China.This challenge makes it difficult for Chinese schools to establish After-Class Care Services (ACCS) that meet parental satisfaction.Utilizing the SERVQUAL Model as a foundational framework, this paper aims to develop a SERVQUAL scale specifically tailored to ACCS in Chinese primary schools.Our empirical investigation reveals significant gaps in the dimensions of reliability, responsiveness, and empathy, particularly regarding items such as parental involvement in service feedback, the willingness of teachers and staff to serve, and their understanding of the need to provide targeted services.To enhance the quality of ACCS within schools and improve parental satisfaction, several measures are necessary: standardizing service processes, integrating community resources, considering the financial burden on parents, strengthening government oversight, and elevating the overall level of service provision.