This study examines characteristics of young adolescents who experience self-care, associations between self-care and academic achievement, and whether associations of self-care with academic adjustment vary by child, family, or community characteristics. Using data from the nationally representative 1999 National Household Education Survey, hierarchical log-linear models assessed how self-care was associated with several academic and behavioral measures for 9- to 13-year-olds. Overall, more self-care was significantly associated with lower academic performance and with school behavior problems, although those associations varied by gender, parent-child communication, and whether young adolescents in self-care also participated in some supervised out-of-school activities. Findings are discussed in light of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. (Contains 3 tables.)