Essay On Non Parental Care

There is considerable controversy over the effects of non-parental care versus parental care on a child’s early development and ability to form primary attachments. Ahnert and Lamb (2004) explored past research on the subject in an attempt to determine if non-parental child care during the ages 2-5 is beneficial or detrimental. Only recently have early developmental specialists attempted to consider non-parental child care as a factor in development in contrast to a sole focus on parental care. It was thought that primary attachments required continuous care from a small number of important reference figures in a child’s life, and that non-parental care would interfere with this process. However, Ahnert and Lamb suggest there are possible benefits of children spending time in child care facilities.

With both parents being employed, the popular course of action is to place a young child in child care facilities, such as daycare programs. These facilities provide beneficial opportunities to a child’s development, however it must be recognized that the home is essential in emotional growth, and parent relationships with the child are still important (Ahnert & Lamb, 2004). These potential benefits include increasing the amount of social contact with both peers and adults, which can assist the child in later social interactions. Introducing children to social situations early in their lives can help them develop higher quality relationships and interaction skills. Furthermore, it can increase how much children get out of education and how they handle conflicts. In terms of education, introducing children to child care facilities prior to enrolling them into preschool and kindergarten can help the adjustment into the education system and prepare young children to form successful