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Abstract
“ A Quality Child Care Program Does Matter”
Prepared By: Corretta Germany
The purpose of the report is to show that a quality child care program does matter. Today
many parents are faced with choosing a child care program for their children. Choosing a
child care program can be the most important decision that a parent could make. When a
good program is chosen it will be beneficial for both the parent and the child. A good
program leads to greater success levels among children when they enter into the school
systems. Yet, some of us as parents spend more time choosing a car than we do a child
care program for our children. Knowing how to choose a quality child care program and
what to look for can be overwhelming, but with some time and effort it will be rewarding.
The environment should be inviting to both the parent and the child. A safe, secure,
stimulating environment is very important for a child’s development. By following these
simple steps you can be well on your way choosing the program that your child deserves.
First look at the basics, such as compliance issues, and accreditation. Then, take a look at
the environment, the environment should be inviting with age appropriate toys, furniture,
bright colors, and displays at the child’s eye level. The facility should have an “open
door policy” and parents should be encouraged to participate in the child’s progress and
daycare experiences. Pay close attention to the child-to-staff ratio, and watch to see if the
provider interacts with a warm and responsive way. Ask the caregiver about their
discipline techniques. Visit the facility several times prior to placing your child to look
for a consistence in caregiver. Finally, take a look at the whole program such as daily
activities and the type of curriculum being used. Choosing a quality child care program
could lead to long term relationship between the provider and the child.
Keywords: quality care, child care, daycare
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Quality Care Matters
What is quality childcare? A quality childcare program can be beneficial to both
you and your child. Quality care is measured by many different criteria’s that are very
important to your child’s growth and development. When choosing a program, parents
should look at the basics such as, licensing regulations and compliance issues. Second,
you should assess the environment to see if it is inviting for both you and your child and
are there enough age appropriate toys and materials that are in good repair. Third, take a
look at family involvement. The program should have an “open door” policy. Fourth,
look for staffing issues such as; ratio, turnover rate, discipline techniques, and experience.
Lastly, take a look at the program, does it support the whole child theory. Knowing what
to look for in a program make it a little easier in choosing the one that is right for your
child, but do quality care really matter?
It has been reported that child care quality “matters” on many different levels.
Children’s daily experiences in a quality environment lead too much happier children.
Children that are engaged cognitively in the childcare setting with caregivers that interact
with them in a positive manner also appear much happier. Children who attend a quality
child care setting which is measured by the caregiver’s behaviors, by physical facilities,
by age-appropriate activities, and by the structural and caregiver characteristics often
display better social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills than other children that did
not receive quality care.
The most important thing is quality childcare is the provider. Providers should be
caring, attentive and respectful of children’s individual needs. Providers should be open
to cultural diversity and accepting to different ethnic backgrounds. Children need
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providers who will encourage them to use their words in everyday activities, instead of
crying or screaming. According to the “Family Childcare Environment Rating Scale,” the
provider should be taking opportunities for professional growth by working towards a
higher degree, attending trainings and workshops. The provider should make provisions
for professional needs by having a well-equipped office space, convenient well-organized
storage, and a comfortable space for parent conferences. Thus, saying providers in a
quality environment spend more time interacting with the children, while providers in a
poor quality program spend more time attending to unoccupied behavior problems.
Good staffing ratios is a very important part of a quality childcare program. It is
evident that the lower the child to staff ratio is, the higher the quality of care will be. Low
ratios lead to more positive interaction between the provider and the individual child.
Low ratios can lead to more positive long-term benefits for children. The children in a
low ratio environment have better intellectual and social development. Thus, leading to a
more independent and confident child.
Comprehensive services can contribute to the quality of a program that aids in the
overall welfare of the children that are being cared for. The services include: health and
nutrition, preventative health care, monitoring of child development, provisions for sick
children, consulting with outside specialist for individual child and family needs,
advocacy, provisions for children with disabilities, and continual staff growth and
development. These services help the provider maintain an enriched environment that
each child needs to grow and develop in a positive manner, which intern can lead to good
parent relationships that can only help with the quality care that you are providing.
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Forming good quality relationships between the caregiver and the parent and the
caregiver and the child is an essential tool in providing quality care. You should have an
“open-door” policy where the parent should feel free to visit the program at all times. A
parent should feel free to discuss any concerns that should arise with the caregiver. The
parent should feel as equally important in the daily activities of their child so keeping
them informed on a daily basis gives them a sense of being involved.
A well planned environment that is bright, colorful and inviting to children help
them learn and grow. The environment should be designed with the child needs in mind.
Furniture and shelves should be child size. Materials should be accessible and displayed
on the child’s eye level. Materials should be also developmentally appropriate for
children of different age levels. Activities should allow for imaginative play. Offering
play opportunities among children enhance their social, emotional, physical, and
cognitive development aids in providing a quality child care program. Providers should
not choose activities for the children, but give them time to play and explore using
materials that enhance their natural curiosity and intellectual development.
One key factor in maintaining a quality program is safety in the childcare setting.
Children should be supervised at all times. The provider needs to be familiar with the
emergency procedures and how to reach the parents in case of emergency. Sanitary
procedures and licensing standards must be followed at all times. The childcare setting
should have adequate lighting, temperature, ventilation, and noise control. To help
maintain a safe environment child care providers should ensure that children follow
safety rules and fully understand the reason for such rules.
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If in the near future you are planning to enroll your child in a daycare program,
you probably already know that not all programs are created equal. Many programs offer
similar services but not all are of quality. So remember to look for some of the key
factors that make a quality program or better yet take along a quality checklist to help
guide you in making the right decision. “Quality” should be a high priority in choosing
the right childcare program for our children. We as parents need to spend more time
investing in quality programs that enhances a child’s social, emotional, cognitive,
physical, and intellectual skills; after all we would be investing in our future.
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Graphics
“The environment must be colorful and inviting”
“Parent involvement should be encouraged”
“Appropriate child-staff ratio”
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“Providers should have training and experience”
“Appropriate discipline techniques should be used”
“Caregivers should interact one-on-one”
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“Program Activities”
Balance of activities: free play, large and small group activities, outdoor play, active play
and curriculum
Program should promote diverse ethnic and cultural groups, emotional growth, verbal
skills, cognitive ability, and creativity.
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Work Cited Page
Machado, Jeanne. Early Childhood Experiences in Language Arts Early Literacy. 8th ed.
Emerita: San Jose City College. 2007
Society for Research in Child Development. "Center-Based Care Yields More Behavior
Problems; In Other Types Of Care, Problems Short-Lived." Science Daily 26 March
2007. 20 August 2010 <http://www.sciencedaily.com
/releases/2007/03/070326095340.htm>.
Clifford, Cryer and Thelma Harms. Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale
Revised Edition. New York: NY. 2007
Papalia, Olds, Ruth Feldman. Human Development. 10th ed. New York: New York. 2007
