Many parents work full-time jobs and have no choice but to find a relative, friend, sitter, or daycare to take care of their child. As childcare options for working parents continue to grow with an increasing number of these services, it is important to note that not every service is the same.
Traditional Daycare
National statistics show that over 80% of children spend some time in daycare by the time they are 4. There are a variety of daycare programs for busy parents, including scheduled and walk-in options. Since the average 4 year old child asks an average of 437 questions a day, it is important to know who is answering those questions and influencing your child’s growth. Although many centers require background checks and some kind of experience before hiring, a majority of these individuals lack qualifying degrees or certifications in early childhood education. While this is a generalization and not the rule, concerned parents should be thorough in their evaluation of a daycare to make sure the child care providers are the best people to watch their child.
Workplace Daycares
An increasing number of workplaces are offering onsite child care to their employees by certified staff. Since these centers are owned and operated by the company itself, there is often a higher demand for experienced child providers. Many people make a point of looking for corporate childcare opportunities when job hunting; moreover these companies see increased retention and productivity rates and a decrease in absenteeism from employees.
Early Child Education Centers
An early learning center for children is similar to a daycare, but unlike a daycare offers learning opportunities set within a curriculum with the intent to enhance early development; the first few years are when humans are capable of absorbing the most information. Every early learning center for children focuses on varying teaching styles or philosophies, every center helps to enhance sensory and gross motor development in children as young as six months. By the time a child reaches two years of age they are becoming increasingly active, both physically and mentally — two year olds typically learn five new words every day at that age. Research shows that children who received professional early childhood education had increased analytic, reading, and creative scores when compared to their peers; these children also grew up to have higher college attendance rates than their peers.