What's With Child Care These Days? (Childcare in general)

Member Name: jentiger

Product:	Childcare in general
Date:	22/10/01 (157 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: read opinion

Disadvantages: cost

Eavesdrop on two working moms at lunch, on a plane, even in a boardroom between meetings. Chances are they'll be comparing notes on child care. At a time when 40 percent of women in the workforce have children under the age of eighteen and more mothers of young children work than don't, the need for good, dependable day care is critical.

I think that without trustworthy day care, working parents (such as myself) aren't productive. According to a 1999 study by the Families and Work Institute, 26 percent of employees with kids under thirteen have had child care problems in a three month period.
Such difficulties translate into ineficiency, tardiness, and absenteeism. Probably no other factor is as important in predicting how satisfied a working mother is with the quality of her life than the success of her child care arrangements.

I once shared a nanny with a friend who also worked part time. We each got two and a half days of care, plus backup baby sitting when we needed extra hours. Roughly one-third of working families take their tots to someone else's house for the day. Two positives come into play here. Not only is family day care usually the least expensive option, but the best of such setups offer a warm and comforting atmosphere, a reasonable care-giver to child ratio, and the fun of playing with other youngsters. I think it's less stressful for little kids to be in a gome, with toys and pets around, than in an institutional setting.

WHAT'S KEY IN A GOOD HOME DAY-CARE SETTING?

- Find a caregiver who is loving and really likes her/his job.

- Ask whether she has any formal child care training and how she/he structures the day:
Things usually go more smoothly if there's an activities schedule-with some flexibility.

- Look for someone who follows standard business practices: Charges an hourly rate that is reasonable for your area, has a set policy regarding illnesses, holida
ys, and vacations, and makes plans for contacting parents in the event of an emergency.

- Use only family day-care providers who are licensed by your state. While this is no guarantee of quality, it does show that minimum health and safethy standards have been met.

- Be alert to any potential safety hazards.
"When you evaluate a family day-care home, ask yourself what is the worst thing that could happen to your child there." Accidental injuries are the biggest health problem among children ages one to four, the very ages they are most often in day care.

For working moms with an infant or several young children and for those who work long, unpredictable hours, this may be the best solution. Such a convenience can make the whole family's schedule run more smoothly. It's usually the most expensive form of child care thought, one that only 3 percent of the population is currently using. Costs can range from just a few dollars an hour in some parts of the Country. Plus, watching all my friends' children in day care go through ear infection after ear infection convinced me that this would be a better
solution, at least for the time being.

When choosing child care that will work for your family, you'll do best to look at your options from a positive perspective. Ask yourself which form of child care will add the most to your child's life. Will she/he be happiest in an environment where the child gets to play with other children? Is a live in sitter, who can arrange play dates and drive to activities, the best solution> Do the facilities and structure of a commercial center appeal to you? Child care doesn't have to be viewed as substitute care, it can provide enrichment for your youngster. If you've taken the trouble and had the luck to find a wonderful person or place for your little one, both of you will benefit from the experience.

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