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By Vanessa
Rasmussen, © 2004, All rights reserved.
Website: http://www.startingadaycarecenter.com
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MYTH:
There is no child care problem
This cannot
be further from the truth. In fact, Child
care in America is the single most worry
parents have. Many have had bad experiences
with childcare programs.
MYTH:
All parents are satisfied with their children's
care.
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Most parents
constantly think about better childcare facilities.
Too few are usually satisfied. Parents have
always raised deep concerns about the quality
of childcare and more often than not hoped for
better alternatives.
MYTH:
The quality of child care doesn't have much
impact on a child's development.
Parents who feel
this way are sadly mistaken. A child grows immensely
in his/her younger years. Childcare programs
play an unparallel role in the development of
a child.
MYTH:
High quality care is available in every neighborhood
and is not difficult to find.
Unfortunately,
quite a few neighborhoods in America do not
have quality childcare programs, more so in
the case of children with special needs. Considerable
research is required to find quality care.
MYTH:
High quality care is affordable for all families
and the cost of care has not been increasing
over time.
Truth is most
low and middle income families cannot afford
quality child care. The costs have been rising
consistently in the past few years.
MYTH:
Lack of child care is not a barrier to work.
Most parents
worry about their child's care at work. This
stems from the fact that parents are generally
not satisfied with the quality of child care.
MYTH:
Parents can always find enough child care.
Finding a high
quality childcare is rare. Most neighborhoods
do not have a single quality childcare program,
let alone enough of them.
MYTH:
Providing child care assistance to low-income
families has "interfered" with the
market, leading to shortages of infant care.
It is in fact
the other way around. Helping low income families
has improved the quality as well as the number
of childcare facilities available.
MYTH:
Unregulated care is not harmful.
In a recent survey,
about 90% of parents said they supported regulation
of the child care industry. It is common sense
that basic health and safety protections - such
as criminal background checks for providers,
and periodic monitoring for safety hazards can
protect children from harm.
Copyright
2001, 2004. All rights reserved. Any reproduction
of this article in whole or in part without
written or verbal permission is strictly prohibited.
For information about reprinting this article,
contact the copyright owner: Vanessa Rasmussen,
Ph.D, Starting a Day Care Center, http://www.startingadaycarecenter.com.
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