Day care

A woman worker drops off her child at day care.

The term day care or child care refers to the care of a child during the day, usually by a person outside the child's immediate family, and often so the parent(s) can work. "Day care" is the most common term in the United States, while "child care" is used in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Day care can range from a few children in the home of a childminder to more formally structured, school-like settings. Day care is to be differentiated from babysitting, which is the temporary, occasional care of a child, often just for an evening.

History

Day care, in the form of institutions called "crèches", appeared in France about 1840, mainly as a charitable means of caring for the infants of working class women. The Société des Crèches was recognized by the French government in 1869. The first day care center in Great Britain was started in 1860, and most European cities had established day care centers by the second half of the 19th century. Originating in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th century, day cares were established in the United States by private charities in the 1850s, the first being the New York Day Nursery in 1854.

Types of Day Care

In a great number of cases, the care of a child is performed by a parent, or through informal arrangements with relatives, neighbors, or friends. Other families may choose to hire an in-home caregiver such as a nanny or au pair to care for the child(ren) while they are at work.

Often, families who do not have or wish to choose these options will opt for day care. Day care facilites can vary drastically, ranging from an individual person in their own home to franchized, corporate institutions. The care given can range from supervised play to structured lesson plans.

• Home Based Day Care: Home day cares are operated by a single individual out of their home. This is often a stay-at-home parent who seeks supplemental income while caring for their own child. Local legislation may regulate the number and ages of children allowed before the home is considered an official day care center and subject to more stringent safety regulations. Some home day cares operate illegally with respect to tax legislation where the care provider does not report fees as income and the parent does not receive a receipt to qualify for childcare tax deductions. As home day cares do not pay rent, they are typically less expensive than day care centres. Home day care providers may still be certified like more organized daycares.

• Non-profit Day Care: Non-profit day cares, often affiliated with churches or schools, have some structural advantages over for-profit operations. Rents are generally lower, especially if they are affiliated with a church that is otherwise unoccupied during the week, or with a school that has surplus space. Location within a school may further bring the advantage of coordinated programs with the school and the advantage of a single location for parents who have older school-age children as well. Non-profits have an advantage in fund-raising as many people will not donate to a for-profit organization. Non-profit day care centers can be operated by local governments and municipalities, by churches or schools, or by a collective group of parents. Most non-profit day cares are smaller operations.

• Corporate Day Care: Large corporations often provide day care as a benefit to their employees. This day care is usually located within the parent's workplace, where it is convenient and accessible. In addition to not having to drop their child off at a second location, parents often feel more secure knowing their child is close by. Corporations generally seek out large corporate day care providers to manage their day care programs.

• Preschool: Preschool is a more structured, scholastic program for young children, generally ages three to five years of age. Preschools may have half-day programs, and provide lesson programs, learning materials, and sometimes field trips. Preschools can be non-profit or for-profit. Federal programs like the Head Start program often assist with the funding of preschools.

Day Care Regulations

In most countries, there is a certain amount of legislation that controls the operation of day care centers, and often day cares must obtain liscences. This legislation defines what constitutes a day care (so as not to regulate individual babysitters), and may specify the physical facilities (washroom, eating, sleeping, lighting levels, etc). The minimum window space may be such that it precludes day cares from being in a basement. Minimum floor space per child may be specified (for example 2.8 square metres), as well as the maximum number of children per room (for example 24). A minimum of outdoor time may be mandated (for example 2 hours for programs 6 hours or longer), as well as staffing ratios (for example 1:3 for under 18 months, 1:5 for 18-30 months, 1:8 for over 30 months, and even higher ratios for older children). Legislation may mandate qualifications of supervisors. Staff typically do not require any qualifications but staff under the age of eighteen may require supervision. Typically, once the child reaches the age of twelve, they are no longer covered by day care legislation and programs for older children may not be regulated.

Day Care Workers

The majority of workers in day care centers are female. A 1996 census in Canada showed that over 95% of childcare workers were female. Most, according to local regulations, had a degree from an early childhood education program, whether it was a one to two year program or a four year degree.

In a 1999 United States census, females also comprised 95% of the workforce in the child care industry. Child care workers were ranked the fifth most common occupation for women. Additionally, female child care workers were also ranked as the fifth lowest female occupation in median earnings, earning only $14,000 per year.

Worldwide Approaches to Child Care

Spain

Spain provides paid maternity leave of 16 weeks with 30-50% of mothers returning to work (most full-time) after this, thus babies of 4 months age tend to be placed in day care centers called "escoles bressols" ("cot schools") in Catalonia. Adult to infant ratios are about 1:7-8 first year and 1:16-18 second year. Public pre-school education is provided for most children aged 3-5 years in "Infantil" schools also providing primary school education.

Australia

Australia has a large child care industry, despite common opinion that child care is hard to find. The Australian government's childcare subsidy has allowed the creation of a large private-sector industry in that country.

Canada

Canada offers both private and subsidized daycares. According to provinces and cities some shortages of subsidized openings can lengthen the time needed to find a suitable childcare provider. To counter this governments or private enterprise sometimes enable parents to look for available spaces online.

United States

State legislation may regulate the number and ages of children allowed before the home is considered an official day care program and subject to more stringent safety regulations. Often the nationally recognized Child Development Associate credential is the minimum standard for the individual leading this home care program.^{[citation needed]}

Controversy over Day Care

Child Development

Those opposed to day care often argue that there is no possible way that anyone could give a child the love and care that a parent can. It is argued that the child's socio-emotional development is affected by the fact that the child is not constantly with his/her parent(s). Primary attachments are formed between child and parent during these early years, affecting the child later in life.

Infectious Disease

Independent studies suggest that good day care for non-infants is not harmful . Some advocate that day care is inherently inferior to parental care. In some cases, good daycare can provide different experiences than parental care does, especially when children reach two and are ready to interact with other children. Bad day care puts the child at physical, emotional and attachment risk.

The National Institute of Health released a study in March, 2007 after following a group of children through early childhood to the 6th grade. The study found that the children who received a higher quality of child care scored higher on 5th grade vocabulary tests then the children who had attended child care of a lower quality. The study also reported that teachers found children from child care to be "disobedient," fight more frequently, and more argumentative. The study reported the increases in aggression and vocabulary were small.^{[citation needed]}

As a matter of social policy, consistent, good daycare, may ensure adequate early childhood education for children of less skilled parents. From a parental perspective, good daycare can complement good parenting.

A 2001 report showed that children in high-quality care scored higher on tests of language, memory and other skills than did children of stay-at-home mothers or children in lower-quality day care.

A study appearing in Child Development in July/August 2003 found that the amount of time spent in day care before four-and-a-half tended to correspond with the child's tendency to be less likely to get along with others, to be disobedient, and to be aggressive, although still within the normal range.

Childcare

Babysitting is the occasional temporary care of a child during the absence of his or her parents. Child care or day care usually refers to ongoing care during specific periods, such as the parents' time at work. Child care can also take on a more formal structure, with education, child development, discipline and even preschool falling into the fold of services.

Childcare roles

It is traditional in western society for children to be looked after by one or both of their parents, but the need, or preference, for two-job households means that childcare is delegated to childminders or crèches on a full-time (40hrs) or part-time (< 40hrs) basis.

Most Western countries also have compulsory education during which children are at school starting from 5- or 6-years of age. The school will act in loco parentis meaning "in lieu of parent supervision."

Where parents are missing, dead, unable or unfit to care for children, state agencies such as social services may take on the childcare role.

Another option, that may be more intimate and often keeps children in their own home setting is through the use of nannies or an au pair. Additionally, parents may opt to have their own family members watch their children.

In the United States, childcare in regulated commercial or family childcare home setting is administered or lead by teachers who may have a Child Development Associate or higher credentials. ^{[citation needed]}

The childcare debate

For many, the use of paid childcare is a matter of choice with arguments raging on both sides about whether children suffer or not.

There is no doubt that the first few years of a child's life are vitally important to form a basis for good education, morality, self-discipline and social integration.^{[citation needed]} Consistency of approach, skills and qualifications of careers and ownership have been shown in many studies to improve the chances of a child reaching his or her full potential.

For example a recent study in Australia concluded centers run by corporate chains provided the lowest quality care when compared to community-based providers and independent private centres.

The challenge of childcare

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In many families (and almost exclusively so in some communities), the childcare role is taken on by the extended family. One of the challenges for parents who choose to use other sources of childcare is finding and affording qualified providers.

Some jurisdictions require licensing or certification. Parents may also turn to independent rating services, or rely on recommendations and referrals. Some places develop voluntary quality networks, for example in Australia most childcare services are part of the national Quality Assurance system which ensures they provide good developmental programs.

Many organizations (in the developed world) campaign for free or subsidized childcare for all. Others campaign for tax breaks or allowances to allow parents a non-finance driven choice. Many of the free or subsidized childcare programs in the United States are also Child Development programs, or after school programs which hire certified teachers to teach the children while they are in their care.

Most countries have laws relating to childcare, which seek to prevent and punish child abuse. Such laws may add cost and complexity to childcare provision and may provide tools to help ensure quality childcare.

Finding childcare providers online

The Internet has become a tool for parents and childcare providers to connect.

Online classified ads allow parents to post job offers and childcare providers to post resumes in hopes of connecting with each other via cyberspace. Such postings allow anyone to post almost anything at any time with little monitoring. Services dedicated to matching parents and childcare providers have evolved from for-profit, nonprofit and governmental organizations. Such services generally offer greater screening, than general listing services.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Steve Biddulph, author of Raising Babies: Should Under 3s Go to Nursery? ISBN 0-00-722192-4

External links

• A profile of the childcare services industry (in Canada)
• Directory of childcare links
• CBC Digital Archives - Who Cares For Our Kids?: The Changing Face of Day Care in Canada
• Quality Child Care From University of Florida/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Factors in choosing quality child care.
• Issue Guide on Child Care Examines policy alternatives and public opinion on child care in the U.S., from Public Agenda Online

• Better Business Bureau Video Series or free online childcare resources at www.BBBvideo.com
• Child Care Quality: An Overview for Parents - From the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.
• Information and Child Care resources from the United Kingdom's National Institute of Childcare and Education

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