School-age children are defined as children 5–12 years of age who attend compulsory schooling (NCASE, 2019). School-age children represent roughly 45 percent of all children served through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) (NCASE, 2020). School-age care takes place both before and after school, on weekends, on school holidays, and during the summer. In an effort to provide effective care to school-age children, it is important to understand how they develop relationships, manage their emotions, cope with stress, and develop social skills, as young children and through adolescence. Access to developmentally appropriate frameworks and strategies can help school-age care programs and family child care educators meet the social and emotional health needs of school-age children. The following information is based on the understanding that relationships are essential for healthy development. (author abstract)