"The children have a family they know, with kids the same age and they can go spend the night, eat dinner there, and there are toys they can play with. I would want that for my child."

St. Thomas More Cathedral School did a commendable job caring for students after Sept. 11, said Angela McKee, an organizer who's married to a service member and has two boys attending the school.

"If something else happens, I know the school would do a super job, because they are better prepared than ever, but I'd like the kids to be in a family environment," said McKee. "It takes some pressure off the children, off the school, and off the parents. If the parents are in the military, it lets them concentrate on the work they need to be doing when they know their kids are safe."

Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Woolf started duty in the Pentagon after Sept. 11, but didn't hesitate to place his two boys in the Guardian Angel program when he heard about it.

"People told us what had happened, how hard it was to leave the Pentagon after the attack," Woolf said. "The program is a real benefit and real peace of mind for me and my wife. It's families and communities helping each other in an emergency, which is a great thing."

So far, there are over 20 children hosted among 19 families.

The list grows.

Organizers are responding to requests to extend the program to civilian contractors, defense agency employees and parents who live on other installations in the Washington area. McKee would like to see a similar program organized at all area schools.

"As far as we know, we are the only school, public or private, who has this program," McKee said of St. Thomas More Cathedral School, which has about 400 students.

Many of its students have parents serving national defense in some capacity, McKee said.

Parents' stories of their dilemma during Sept. 11 fueled the idea for the Guardian Angel program. Some parents worried about their children, but couldn't contact the school, or needed four hours to travel from a nearby workplace to the school.

Some children knew their parents worked at the Pentagon, but didn't know how to reach them. McKee, who works on Bolling, was stuck on base when military installations were locked down after the explosion.

McKee and Straubs realized the advantage of establishing a surrogate family for children whose parents can't pick them up after school, or when the after-school program ends at 6 p.m.

McKee enlisted military parents to place their children in the program, while Straubs recruited families within walking distance of the school.

"When word got out we needed help to support the military, there were families volunteering from all over," said McKee. "They'd call and say 'I want to help.' We had to tell some, 'Thank you, but you live a little too far from the school.'"

McKee matches children with appropriate host families, taking into account the age and gender of the children, and whether there are pets or smokers in the house which might agitate allergies.

McKee recommends parents give medical power of attorney to the host families, and exhaustive contact lists, including an out-of-state contact through which the host family and the parents can share information if all other channels fail. If the child requires medication, especially prescriptions, supplies should be left with the host family.

The program isn't only about preparing for disaster, Straubs admitted, it also connects families within the community. Woolf said he's met the host family for his two boys, and feels good about their security net for the children's safety during a crisis.

"This is especially good for military families which are often transient," said Straubs. "Even if it's never needed, it's a wonderful outreach program to bring communities together. Let's hope the program is never actually used."

McKee encourages parents to join the program if their child attends St. Thomas More Cathedral School, regardless of where they live or work. She is willing to advise others on establishing programs with other schools. McKee can be reached at (202) 563-0673.