Everyday millions of people become parents. “Parents of dependent children make up nearly a quarter (3.9 million) of the 17 million undergraduate students in the United States, and half of those (1.9 million) are single parents. Women are the majority of students in postsecondary settings and they also make up a larger proportion of student parents” (“Colleges Need More Child Care”). According to the 2009 demographic census, the County of Warren in New Jersey—surrounded by 22 Municipalities— has a population of 14,023 of children under the age of 10 (“Warren County Complete Analysis”). The County of Warren has two large colleges: Centenary College, which is a 4-year, private institution, and Warren County Community College, a 2-year, public institution. However, neither of these colleges offer on-site daycare for their students. Community colleges are less likely to have on-site child care than four-year colleges despite the fact that most student-parents attend community colleges. The addition of an on-campus daycare at Warren County Community College would cause great advantages f...
Changing demographics in America are leading to an increased need for preschools. In 1950, only 14% of mothers of children under six worked outside the home (Williams 351), but in 1995, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 63.5% of mothers of children under age six worked outside the home (Garey 4). The number of families with two working parents is steadily rising; the number of single-parent families is also increasing. Many families cannot afford to have a parent at home full time but have a hard time affording preschool or childcare costs. A publication by L.M. Casper, printed by the U.S. Census Bureau, found that on average, parents spend 8% of their family's income on childcare (Kinch 68). Many of these parents make great sacr...
There is a problem in Texas impacting children’s futures; many childcare centers and homes are not providing children with quality care. In an article about cost and quality in Texas childcare, child development experts Susan Eitel and Joyce Nuner quote a study stating “that [nationally] only 10% of infants and toddlers are in high quality [childcare] programs” (34). The term ratio describes the number of children one caregiver is watching. This number is one of the major factors in the quality of a childcare program. Organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children know as NAEYC release recommendations regarding ratios and accredit programs based on their compliance. Childcare centers and homes must comply with certain minimum standards enforced by Texas regarding ratios; however, these standards often set the bar lower than recommendations made by these early childhood experts. The current standards in Texas do not ensure that all young children receive quality care; for this reason, the Texas Department of Family Protective Services should strengthen the minimum standards regarding ratios to better regulate the quality of care children receive.
United States Census. Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005/Summer 2006. Household Economic Studies. 2010.
Formal childcare can be expensive and for many of the families within this community, out of the question. Parents rely on friends or family who happens to be close in proximity to care for the children during the days when they are at work or out looking for employment,
Single moms are the most affected and providing childcare on campus is very beneficial to them. More than 4 million women attend two-year public institutions or community colleges, and more than 1 million of them are mothers. Many student mothers struggle to stay enrolled all the way through graduation. Most of them are more likely to drop out of school, and the reason is because most often there is no affordable or available childcare and the students have limited financial resources. The average daycare center cost for an infant is higher than a year’s tuition and fees at a public college. It makes affordable on-campus child care a necessary provision for students. Childcare on campus helps to contribute to the learning
In the 1980s, child care was back on the national agenda due to the education reform movement (Tejada, 2010). Tejada further disclosed that several states even launched pre-kindergarten programs for disadvantaged children. Why the Need for Universal Preschool Two-thirds of 4-year-old children in the United States attend preschool, as well as 40% of 3-year-olds (Tejada, 2010). Half of those are enrolled in a public program, such as state prekindergarten (preK), Head Start, or special education, and the other half are in a private program (Adams, 2009). Despite such a large enrollment of children in these programs, there is still a handful of children who are missing out on obtaining a head start in obtaining a good quality education.... ...
Around the 1950’s, the media perpetuated the idea of the picturesque family unit; children made the shift from being a necessary evil to a symbol of status. Children were no longer meant to help sustain the family, so much as meant to be trophies of the parents’ competentness. Children became an outlet for parents to mold and live through vicariously: the more perfect your child was, the better parent you were. The problem is not that people want to have children, but that many cannot afford to take care of their spawn. Whether you are a young mother utilizing the assistance of government programs such as WIC or simply writing off your children on your taxes, you are making use of government incentive to procreate. Reproduction is completely natural; however, once backed by government incentive, the motivations for having children can take an unnatural turn. Children may be a symbol of love and unity, but it has expanded beyond the family unit. Many children have become the responsibility of the Unite...
But, there is hope: a loving, supportive environment that encourages children to grow into themselves. Preschool. Government programs are in place to help low-income families offset the costs, and national agencies provide multidimensional support for preschoolers and their families. Seven hours in a classroom doesn’t fix the problems at home. Rather, these programs are designed to help low-income families through a multi-faceted approach, attacking several issues in one mighty blow (Olson, Ceballo, and Park 427). These programs offer a variety of resources, including parenting classes, stress management courses, family counseling, and nutrition education. Through these programs, the entire community is assuming responsibility for taking care of its children. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.
Child welfare and family services: Policies and practices, USA: Parson Education Inc. Garbarino, J. (1992) The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secon Children and Families in the Social Environment, New York, NY: Walter De Gruyter, Inc. Walls, J. (2005). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary The Glass Castle, New York, NY: SCRIBNER.
It’s been noted that recent studies specify that “more than half of all 3-5-year-old children in the United States attend child-care centers prior to kindergarten” and “Given these high usage rates, the quality of these early child-care experiences has become an important public policy issue” (Peisner-Feinberg 2001). It is believed that part of the issue is a result of parents not knowing what the primary purpose of daycare/child care facilities are and what high quality daycares consist of in considering a their child should attend.
fagan, patrick, and rector robert. "The Clinton Day Care Proposal: An Attack on Parents and Children." Heritage Foundation (1998): n. pag. Web. 17 May 2010. .
Working parents with children are faced with limited daycare options, lack of quality time with their children, and less influence over their child’s developing values. These difficulties alone may be enough in order to discourage many couples from having chil...
During the last half of the twentieth century, America has witnessed a rapid increase in the percentage of women in the workforce and a corresponding rise in the number of children who receive routine care by someone other than their mothers. Children are entering child care at younger and younger ages. By 1990, in the United States, over half of the infants under one year old regularly received care by someone other than a parent (US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1994). At age 24 months, children
Looking back at the past there have been women struggling for equal rights throughout the United States of America this includes the right to work or stay at home with their children. Ever since women started working the argument has been forthcoming over mothers who work and those who stay home with their children. One concern is what differences, if any, are there in children who are raised by stay-at-home moms and working moms. This includes effects on their children emotionally and academically. In today’s world women find themselves and their choices they make under much scrutiny. “With more women currently in the workforce than ever before, fewer children are being raised by stay-at home mothers and more are spending prolonged hours at childcare facilities” (Working Mothers: Cognitive and Behavioral Effects on Children, P75) This is a drastic change from women who were taught that their job in life was to raise their children at home.
Cultural emphasis on self-fulfillment and individualism may influence parents away from the demands of parenting a large family (Morgan, 2003, p. 593). Increased career opportunities for women and the availability combine with the availability and acceptability of contraception to limit family size as well as the increased availability and acceptability of the use of daycare facilitates women working outside the home and prioritizing that over a large family and stay-at-home mothering (Macleod, 2013,