Children and Baby Care in Daycare
Child and baby care in daycare structures are rising, but is this a good thing and for whom? What is the effect on society, mothers, and fathers, and children themselves. Take a look at the results of these studies.
In the “Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2011” report from the U.S. Census Bureau, it was noted that 12.5 million (61 percent) of the 20.4 million children under age 5 participated in some kind of regular child care.
In the U.K., between 2011 and 2013, “The total number of full day care staff also increased between 2011 and 2013, rising by six per cent,” and “The number of registered places in full day care settings rose by ten per cent between 2011 and 2013,” according to the “Child Care and Early Years Providers Survey: 2013.”
Finally, an Australian government study from 2009 called “Child care and Early Education in Australia” found that
“The majority of the parents using child care (62.1%) accessed informal care provided by relatives, usually grandparents, or non‑relatives; 37.9 per cent used formal, government‑regulated long day care or family day care services; and 10.0 per cent used a combination of formal and informal care.”
The effect of this time away from care givers other than parents is undoubtedly on the mind of every parent. According to FamilyFacts.org,
“Entry into child care before the age of one and continued and extensive child care throughout early childhood years are associated with less social competence and cooperation, more problem behaviors, negative moods, aggression, and conflict.”
Before you decide to quit your job and stay home with your child after reading this, consider that
“parenting quality was a much more important predictor of child development than was type, quantity, or quality, of child care,”
contended researchers of a 2007 long-term National Institutes of Health-funded study.
Consider your family’s individual needs and preferences before you make a final child care decision. Topics about child and or baby care in daycare are difficult and very personal. There is not fit-all solution.
Benefits of Daycare
Child care centers provide a routine for your child every day, which can help her to learn and to feel safe and secure. Baby care in daycare structures are usually inspected to be sure they are safe, and they are administered by a director.
U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development research has found that children who attend daycare could
“have an intellectual edge over those in other kinds of care. . .,”
notes BabyCenter.com. Lastly, toddlers and preschoolers can socialize with other kids in daycares, which is not possible quite as often when a nanny or family member cares for them.
Drawbacks of Daycare
Daycares charge late fees if parents are late or if they pick up late. They also have to find back-up care when the center closes for holidays, and they cannot bring their children to the center when they are ill. Children in daycare also tend to pick up more illnesses in daycares. Children also do not often get the individualized care they would with a babysitter, nanny, relative, or small, at-home daycare.
Developmental Effects of Daycare
The research done by the 2007 NIH-funded report found that children who had high-quality child care before they went to Kindergarten found that they had higher vocabulary scores in fifth grade than children did who were in lower-quality child care. This may be due, in part, to the exposure to more words during the day. They may receive explicit instruction in vocabulary from teachers as well.
However, the same study found that those children in center-based child care before Kindergarten received more notes of problem behaviors from their sixth grade teachers. The researchers said that these findings were not that significant compared to the quality of the parenting children receive.
Additionally, baby care in daycare organisations often have lower levels of social competence and cooperation, worse moods, aggression, and problem behaviors. The Australian study referenced previously found that
“Teacher ratings of social development were lower for children who attended more child care settings each week.”
However, the education of teachers and the child to teacher ratios also contributed to children’s social development in daycares.
Note these outcomes from the Australian study:
“Children who did not attend a formal early childhood program had lower scores for receptive vocabulary than children in pre‑Year 1 and preschool programs (whether this was in a single setting or with other additional care), and comparable scores to children in long day care. Children who attended long day care plus other additional care had the lowest scores. The relationship between child care factors and children’s receptive
vocabulary appeared to be a function of the amount of time in care rather than type of early childhood setting. . .Not attending a formal early childhood program had less of an impact on children’s achievement in early literacy and numeracy than on receptive vocabulary. Apart from the enhancing effect of being in pre‑Year 1, there were only minimal differences in test scores across the six types of early care/education settings children attended and these did not differ from scores for children not attending an education program.”
In the end, it seems that even if a child is a daycare most of the day, the quality of the parental care at home is vital in determining the social and emotional development of a child. Even if you don’t have much time with your child, the quality of the time you spend with her is essential. The quality of care at a daycare, or that which a family member, babysitter, or nanny provides is important as well. Your family will make the most appropriate decision about child care for your child. Even if it involves a daycare, you will research and make the most informed decision about the best environment for your child.