Day Care - Good News
A National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study that tracked 1300 kids over ten years bodes well for working parents. This study shows that extra time in day care does little to damage a child’s development, as long as parents make sure their time with the kids is the best it can be. Many experts agree, pointing out that it does not diminish finding good day care, but rather emphasizes quality time.
Dr. Betty Caldwell who worked with the study says, “The amount of time that a child was in care was not a factor in whether a child developed a secure attachment to the mother, the most significant predictive thing was the mothers’ sensitivity to that child.”
Beverly Ehrhart, a working mom, understands that and puts everything she can into the hours she has with her son. “You can find that energy there, because it means so much to you, that you really want to do it,” she says.
Kids may be missing less developmentally and emotionally than previously suspected. The study indicates that those who spent 30 hours a week in day care did no worse than kids who spent less than ten. The key was not the quantity of time away from parents, but the quality of time with them.
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“You can find that energy there, because it means so much to you, that you really want to do it.” --Beverly Ehrhart, mother |
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Research shows that in 1997 families with monthly income of less than $1,200 spent 25% of this income on child care compared to 6% for families with income great than $4,500 per month. The amount spent per week had a converse relationship. Those making less than $1,200 spent $47.29 per week, while those at $4,500+ spent about $91.93 per week. Source: “Economics of Child Care”, Child Care Bulletin (Sept./Oct. 1997) |
True Care
Parents who have children in day care are undoubtedly concerned about the activities they participate in throughout the day. Worries about development and learning may sometimes over shadow the focus that should be given to the operative word “care“.
The way teachers and other providers interact with children should be monitored closely. Are the teachers attentive? Do they show affection? Is praise given? These may seem like minor things, but they are very important to the comfort of young children who are often insecure about being away from their parents. If you notice changes in a child’s demeanor after being in day care, beware of interactions that may have happened during the day.
What Parents Should Know
When it comes to selecting day care, academics and quality are two things that a parent must consider. But, the talk about what to look for and the best thing to do comes from many angles and points of view.
There are those who believe that children should be learning as soon as possible, and follow what is known as the “academics-from-birth” approach. The Primrose Group, an educational franchisee, offers one such program and will start with children as young as six weeks old. Others may like a less structured approach that allows a child more flexibility and time to learn naturally.
While there is no standard in the United States for measuring quality in child care, some research has been done to support high quality as a factor in children’s development. The Society for Research in Child Development released information this year that was compiled as part of a federal child care study.
Among the findings it was shown that 57% of kids in the top half of day care scored above average in school readiness by age 3. Good home environments were also shown to be a positive influence with 64% of those from the best homes scoring above average.
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Resources
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1) Child Care Bulletin - National Child Care Information Center 1-800-616-2242 2) National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care 1-800-598-KIDS |
For
more information on parenting issues contact us: Connecting with Kids |