Childcare or “daycare” is one of the most commonly used resources among Americans in the United States. There are many options for childcare that parents could choose from. They have many choices for childcare, ranging from: in-home care, childcare facilities, after school or government-funded Head Start programs. . “Head Start is a federally funded governmental program with the explicit goal of preparing underprivileged children for primary education” (Conley). This program is another option for the pre-k program. The cost of childcare has risen dramatically over the past year, and no one really knows whom to blame for it. The government offers families subsidies for childcare, but that is only if your income is low. But, what about the hard working, middle class families, that are still struggling to pay the high cost of childcare without government assistant? How will they provide childcare for their kids?
Paying a babysitter to watch your children while you are at work may seem like a smart idea and at the same time it may be cheap, but some people are not responsible to care after kids. They may have a good resume and background check but still, they are not what you are looking for. Some parents make the mistake of hiring babysitters and while in the care of the sitter, their child may come up missing, abused, etc. All babysitters are not bad caretakers; however, but you should just watch who you have watching your children.
Having your child in an In-Home daycare facility may not be such a great idea either. After reading the article The Hell of American Day Care, many parents vowed not to let their kids go to In-Home facilities. Because the rules and regulations for In-home daycare workers aren’t strictly enforced.
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Smith, Kristin and Adams, Nicholas, "Child care subsidies critical for low-income families amid rising child care expenses" (2013). The Carsey Institute at the Scholars' Repository. 5 May 2013. Paper. 19 Nov. 2013.
United States. U.S Department of Health & Human Services. Office of Child Care. Home | Administration for Children and Families. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
"Newsroom." Child Care Costs on the Upswing, Census Bureau Reports. United States Census Bureau, 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
Stein, Rob. "Study Finds That Effects of Low-quality Child Care Last into Adolescence." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 14 May 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
Roberts, Sam. "As Child Care Costs Rise, Families Seek Alternatives." New York Times. N.p., 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
"Child Care Subsidies." Weblog post. Clasp.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
Downs, S., Moore, E., McFadden, E., & Costin, L. (2004). Child welfare and family services: Policies and practice. (7th. Ed., pp. 319-363) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Meyers, M.K. & Gornick, J.C. (2003). Public or private responsibility? Early childhood education and care, inequality, and the welfare state. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 34, 379-411.
Childcare is a necessity for a large number of working families and single parents. Fortunately, there are many options available to meet both the needs of the family and their budget. Each option comes with advantages and disadvantages. We will provide some basic information regarding each type, as well as some guidelines in regards to estimated cost.
There is a problem in Texas impacting children’s futures; many childcare centers and homes are not providing children with quality care. In an article about cost and quality in Texas childcare, child development experts Susan Eitel and Joyce Nuner quote a study stating “that [nationally] only 10% of infants and toddlers are in high quality [childcare] programs” (34). The term ratio describes the number of children one caregiver is watching. This number is one of the major factors in the quality of a childcare program. Organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children know as NAEYC release recommendations regarding ratios and accredit programs based on their compliance. Childcare centers and homes must comply with certain minimum standards enforced by Texas regarding ratios; however, these standards often set the bar lower than recommendations made by these early childhood experts. The current standards in Texas do not ensure that all young children receive quality care; for this reason, the Texas Department of Family Protective Services should strengthen the minimum standards regarding ratios to better regulate the quality of care children receive.
United States Census. Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005/Summer 2006. Household Economic Studies. 2010.
Over time, the debate of childcare issue within the Canadian public policy context has been raging. Rise in the media attention of the social issue of childcare policy in Canada concentrates on the relationship and coordination among the federal, provincial, and territorial governments in addressing the social issue (Finkel, 20013). According to Lewis Steven of The Star Canada News Agency, childcare is one of the priorities the Canadian Federal Government need to consider when designing its social policies. According to Lewis (2013), the Canadian Federal Government needs to consider the safety net income as an important factor contributing to affordable childcare services in the country. In Canada, parents or members of extended family have the responsibility of providing childcare services without the consideration of family net income. However, outside the family, there are many childcare providers operating as private individuals or agencies. Such childcare providers operate as private businesses.
Harris, Kathleen. “Work and Welfare Among Single Mothers in Poverty.” The American Journal of Sociology. Vol. 99 Sept. 1993. 317-52.
Most parents would probably prefer a family member would take care of their child; it could possibly be no cost and would make them feel as though they weren’t having someone else raise their child because they have to work. This is not an option for many parents so they go outside the family to make their choice of care. A day care center and an individual caregiver both have their pros and cons. Day care centers are open longer hours and have more workers in case of illness, caregivers could become ill and the parents would have to take the child to an emergency back up or miss work entirely. Children are very much individuals and have to be considered in the choice the family makes for care of their child. Every family must decide first what they can afford and then weigh the options to provide the best care available to them.
children in day care so that they can go out to work. But some people
Phillips, Deborah, and Natasha J. Cabrera. Beyond the Blueprint: Directions for Research on Head Start's Families. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press, 1996. Internet resource.
Downs-Whitelaw, S., Moore, E., &McFadden, E. J. (2009). Child welfare and family services: Policies and practice, USA: Parson Education Inc.
It’s been noted that recent studies specify that “more than half of all 3-5-year-old children in the United States attend child-care centers prior to kindergarten” and “Given these high usage rates, the quality of these early child-care experiences has become an important public policy issue” (Peisner-Feinberg 2001). It is believed that part of the issue is a result of parents not knowing what the primary purpose of daycare/child care facilities are and what high quality daycares consist of in considering a their child should attend.
fagan, patrick, and rector robert. "The Clinton Day Care Proposal: An Attack on Parents and Children." Heritage Foundation (1998): n. pag. Web. 17 May 2010. .
Karch, Andrew. "Policy Feedback and Preschool Funding in the American States." Policy Studies Journal 38.2 (2010): 217-234. Business Source Complete. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
With all said and done, I think day-care is not a bad place for a child to be after all, as long as no one takes advantage of the situation. This means that the people supervising the children in day-care centers should not take advantage of their parents’ absence to mistreat them, and neither should the parents use day-care as an excuse not to spend quality time with their young ones.