Child Care In Poor Communities: Head Start Centers

Furthermore, it will analyze current literature reviews on positive impacts on the families by increasing the subsidized childcare centres at a low cost to encourage more participation of mothers in the labour force. Ultimately resulted in the economic growth and reduced poverty rate. Few fundamental concerns will be addressed over the universal childcare program, including lack of regulated childcare spaces as a result of an excessive number of children. Moreover, possible negative impacts on children’s development when increased in time span away from parents. Lastly, discuss possible actions that government might take in order to resolve the issues as policy

Families have many choices for childcare, ranging from in-home care, a childcare facility, an after school program or a

Clients and Client Issues The clients served by The Ontario Early Years Centre include parents, relatives, nannies, and their children who range from birth to six years of age. A significant amount of parents attending this Centre’s programs, whose children range from 12 months – 3 ½ years old, generally do not enrol their children in a daycare facility due to its expensive nature. The fact that daycare services are too costly for some families to register their children relates to the one of the social determinants of health known as a social safety net. This social determinant implies that daycare services are not well funded by the Canadian government, which consequently increases the facility’s price.

Although the Head Start program focuses on preparing the children for school it does offer outreach and training activities to assist parents with understanding their child’s development and their overall parenting skills (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Parental needs are met when parents receive classes or workshops that educate them on their child’s development allowing parents to create activities for their child at home as well as when they are in Head Start (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2002).

Daycare has become a controversy because of the great quantity of advantages and disadvantages that it involves. While a very large number of parents have to rely on child care centers because of career ambitions or financial needs that only their jobs can fulfill, most child psychiatrists believe that the ideal growing environment for an infant is at home with the family. The problem is that choosing the right caregiver, a good substitute for the parents, is very hard, and the consequences of a wrong decision can be very detrimental to the child’s personality development. This choice depends on many factors like culture, education and especially income. In fact, the financial availability plays the most

Differences Between Home Daycares and Daycare Centers: Assessing the Quality of Care Found in Both Settings

Families' reliance on childcare has risen significantly over the past 30 years. In 1993, 9.9 million children under age 5, needed care while their mothers worked (Bureau of the Census, 1995). More than two-thirds of all infants receive nonparental child care during their first year of life, with most enrolled for about 30 hours each week (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1995).

-Child care is a potential ‘threat’ to the parent-child bond and the cause for lower social development and emotional control. NICHD studies have shown that ‘Infants spending as little as 12 hours a week in day nurseries showed slightly lower levels of social development and emotional regulation (less enthusiastic cooperation, concentration, social engagement and initiative) as toddlers.’ (Adamson, 2008: 12) The above evidence leads to the author’s conclusion/ generalisation that ‘the younger the child and the longer the hours spent in child care the greater the risk.’ (Adamson, 2008: 12)

Head Start is a federally funded, education development program that was created in 1965. The program provides education and services for eligible children from low-income families. Head Start 's philosophy focuses on the development of social-emotional, physical and mental health, nutrition, and working with families and the community and stated “low-income people should help plan and run their own programs” (p. 41-42). Head Start has truly expanded their resources over the years by providing a full school year for ages 3-6 years old and offering services such as health screenings, referrals, and social services (p. 42). Most importantly, each and every Head Start program must follow the federal Head Start Program Performace Standards that address all areas of development (p. 42). The program is truly committed to support low-income families and creating an education system that supports all aspects of the child.

Although our textbook discusses the issue of continuity between home and program in both aspects; pros and cons, but I feel that when looked at from a cultural point of view, this factor can be very vital in early childcare. In my opinion, in infancy and through toddler years children need to be in more familiar environments especially if they come from a culture that is minority. When children see adults who are from the same culture, speak the same language and have values that are similar to what they have seen at home, they feel at home and above all they stay connected with their language and culture. This similarity can also create a very positive experience for the young children who see role models in the adults in the childcare centers

What seemed to have sparked interest in this topic were the inconsistent findings on the issue of social outcomes. Although it has been found that children who attended childcare programs appeared to be more socially competent than home-reared peers, displays of aggression and resistance to adult requests were also described among childcare children (Haskins et al., 1985, as cited in Phillips et al., 1987). Phillips, McCartney and Scarr (1987) believed that these contradictory findings differed due to the quality of the childcare programs.

“There are approximately forty nine million children and youth, ages 6-17 living in the U.S.” (“Making the Case” 1). Children need care while they are in the initial stages of growth and development. Whether this care is provided by a mother, father, sibling, or other guardian, a child needs to be loved. When children turn a certain age, the care of the family is added to by caregivers in another institution. While attending school, children are shown care for the duration of the day by teachers, mentors, and other aids. This is a productive time for the children’s development because they are being nurtured in a well rounded, safe environment. This environment provides initial academic

It is common knowledge that a parent is considered the most efficient caregiver for their children. It’s also known that with daily responsibilities of caring for a child financially, parents partake in full-time and/or part-time employment. While needing to do so, many children attend daycare/preschool facilities. Granted, it is the parent’s responsibility to cautiously select where they decide to take their children. This is because parents know that while they are away for numerous hours of the day, their children are in the hands of another care provider and that their care would have an enormous impact on their children. At a young age, a child’s social and cognitive skills are continuing to take shape and the amount of time spent in

With the growing need for child care in America, more and more are popping up in multiple possible settings. Care Centers, Churches, At-home moms are not hard to find for day and after school child care. But not all forms are regulated. A reform on child care is needed to make it affordable, safe and productive for American children to reach their full potential during their developmental years and beyond. Unfortunately the majority of productive and high quality child care is based on demographic, cultural and financial options. Low income children and children who live in certain neighborhoods do not have access to childcare and preschool options. These are the most likely option to teach top rate social and educational instruction. As a result of the well educated providers being a bit more on the costly side, a large portion of American family child care is provided by unlicensed mom’s providing child care in their homes. This being more affordable than the child care centers, for obvious overhead reasons. With the percentage of Single Mothers growing/or and the need for a 2 income family, Child care become a well known and commonly needed service in the 1970’s.

Children dont have to go to a legit child care facility to get an early education. Early childhood education comes in many forms most of the learning starts at home. “Playing with your child helps keep your child engaged in the kind of play where learning occurs. Your interest, questions, and comments as you play alongside will help your child use toys productively,”(How to Support Children’s Approaches to Learning?). In saying that children learn best through play based experiences they learn from things they experience or items they can touch and hold. Children learn from the comments thier parents give, they pick up on the little things. Children who don’t participate in some type of quality education programs are 50 percent more likely to be placed in special education. Children are also 25 percent more like to dropout of school and are 60 percent more likely to never attend college. 40 percent are more likely to become teen parents ,and finally 70 percent more likely to become a teen parent.