Daycare Dilemmas

“14.2 million children under age 13 met federal requirements for child-care subsidies in 2011-2012. Of that number, 8.6 million were eligible under state policies. Yet only 1.5 million children actually received the subsidies. That means only 10.6 percent of the number of children meeting federal guidelines actually get the subsidy” (Davidson 2017). The question that will be answered throughout this paper is, how accessible is childcare in the United States? Child care is the care of children by a day-care center, babysitter, or other provider while parent/ parents/ or legal guardian is working. The median household income for the United States is $53,8895 (Census Bureau) and the average cost of childcare is between $10,000 and $16,000 (Hamm 2015). This means that childcare can cost families making the median income 30% of their annual income. Given that this is the median household income, half of households have an income that is below this costing them more than 30% of their income. The United States has excellent child care that is affordable for some, however, most low-income families are unable to afford it.

Some families are not able to provide childcare when they need it for their kid(s). “The cost and the scarcity of day care have helped create what sociologist Joya Misra calls “the motherhood penalty”” (Quart). Some families have to have only one income so that one parent could stay home to watch the kid(s). Single parents have to move in with their parents for help because they can not afford the care. People should not have to quit their jobs to take care of their kids when there are multiple daycare facilities.

Over the past five to six decades women have been entering the workforce in ever increasing numbers. Some enter because of financial need and others for professional and career goals. Whatever the reason, the result for the children is the same; they are in daycare. Many

At Children’s Discovery Center the daycare is split into two buildings, one building is for the children in pre-school and the second building is for infants to three year olds getting ready to start pre- school. The classroom I observe is for children 18 months to 28 months. They are about fourteen children in the class with two teachers. The way the class is set up the younger students and their two teachers share one classroom, but the teachers and their toddlers are not in the same room until lunch time and nap time. The classroom has a kitchen, reading area, girls and boys bathroom, activity tables and there is a connecting room for the children to have bible time and free play. The discovery center has three separate playgrounds for the

In general, the first operational year of any business can be stressful and a bit perplexing. In most circumstances, the first year for any new daycare center will be a period of low enrollment. This means we may be facing insufficient income to meet your expenses. Yet, the budget had not taken into consideration any potential loss in the income that might happen. Nevertheless, according to the loss scenario, we face a significant loss in the income about 44,740$ less than the anticipated income, which causing a shortage in the budget about 18,452$ less than the anticipated spending. Eventually, this shortage in the income would certainly has a significant effect on the cash flow for the rest of the year. Indeed, if the administrator does not

In Judith Stadtman Tuckers “The Least Worst Choice: Why Mothers Opt out of the Work Place” Judith Stadtman Tucker looks at why hard working, intelligent woman are choosing to leave their high end jobs to stay at home with their children. Judith Stadtman Tucker expresses her option that it is nearly impossible to work 40 hours a week, be available on your off hours as well as raise children. I fully agree with Judith Stadtman Tucker’s point of view that it is absurd to have to be at the mercy of your employer even in your off hours, nor less if you are attempting to create an emotional connection and successfully raise a child. It is no question that even in today’s modern society that it is assumed that woman are the best caregivers for young children. If you are put in a position where you have a child to raise, is it more appropriate to abandon your career or to emotionally abandon your child to a stranger or strangers and allow them to raise it? Judith Stadtman Tuckers argument against mothers having to choose between the joys of parenthood and the freedom of being able to work a career really speaks to me because it makes me consider what I want for my own future and what I would choose.

In her interviews with woman she was sure to interview very well educated women and those that strived for mere perfection. One thing is that the men in the lives of these women were not supportive and not mentioned of much. The men and society of today have placed a lot of responsibility on a woman’s shoulders when it comes to the child. It is the woman who makes the decision or is given the task to make the heavy decisions regarding the child’s future. Because of this many women choose to stay at home to be sure that the children will receive everything that they deserve and that they are not lacking in any area. Another issue that she reviews is that employers do not work with moms at all. For example she talked about the scenario where two moms brought a solution to their problem to management yet it failed to receive approval instead one mother was offered more money (Guest, 2011). Employers are not very flexible when it comes to mothers and don’t provide the proper care that is needed for a child. Since men are the ones that don’t carry the responsibility of the child’s well-being having proper day care is not a factor for them. Then there is the cost of day care which is high and can at times not compare to what the individual is making.

Many researchers have been studying welfare to work, but not until recently has the focus resurfaced on the increase number of single mothers who left welfare for work and went back to the welfare system. According to the 2012 U.S. National Census Bureau,” Single mothers are heading more family households and living in poverty. Almost 31% of households headed by a single woman were living below the poverty line—nearly five times the 6.3% poverty rate for families headed by a married couple” ( U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Without the necessary income, perceived support, childcare resource and training, the move is a downward mobility from welfare independence back into the welfare system.

Before the development of daycare companies, mothers in U.S.A would leave babies dozing in carriages parked outside movie places, under care of other friends, cribs, and cradles, locking them in tenement flats and car parks in factory lots (Pruissen, 2012). Some women took their children to their mothers, to neighbors and strangers. In all these instances, the security and care of children were not guaranteed as some women would lose their children or find them with infection such as lice, fever or running noses. Being able to leave your child under someone else 's care can be very hard on mothers.

Have you ever thought why won’t the schools develop daycare programs at the school? The daycare center at the school for young teen mothers who dropout of school to start their career early without furthering their education and young teen fathers won’t feel the need to drop out to get a job and support his child. There are some on site daycare’s in some states but there’s just a few, there needs to be more. Although having on site daycare center has some bad to it, to others it has some good to it like teen parents feeling of security can be satisfied knowing that their child is in a safe place, create more jobs, and teens save up money and welfare won’t be an option.

Some kids have no problem switching to a brand new environment, like a new daycare. Others can have problems adjusting, which will make things difficult for you as a parent. Here are some tips to consider when switching daycare facilities.

Janet has two kids that go to a daycare 17 miles away from her job. Each morning she is rushing to drop them off and make it to work in time. Each evening she is rushing from work to pick them up. Sometimes she has to stay at home with her kids or even leave from work to get them because they are sick which makes her and her employer lose money. That’s why daycare should be in a workplace. Janet’s story is just one of many stories out there regarding the situation of daycare and work. Day Care in a workplace is very important to many parents and children. There is many benefits to it too.

Leaving children to grow up in the foster care system is not a good placement option as there is a substantial amount of research about the negative impact it has on children. Some recent findings of a study reported that 25 percent of youth who aged out of care did not obtain high school diploma or GED, only 50 percent were currently employed, and three quarters of the males and more than half of the females had ever been arrested (Courtney et al. 2007). Another study examining youth in California, Minnesota, and North Carolina found these employment patterns persist for many at age 24, with only a small portion of youth (25 percent in California, 22 percent in Minnesota, 16 percent in North Carolina) managing to maintain consistent connections to the labor market and earn as much as their peers nationally (Macomber et al. 2008).

In today’s society the majority of households have a family dynamic where both parents need to work. It is nearly impossible for most families in America to survive financially without two incomes. This puts many parents in a situation where they have to find extra help to watch their children while they are away at work. “These days couples face complex negotiations over work, family, child care, and housekeeping. It becomes evident that where traditional marriage through the centuries has been a partnership based on mutual dependency, modern marriage demands greater self-sufficiency” (Hekker). Day care becomes a necessity for many families, and the main concern for most parents is if the day care will be a positive experience for their

While there are some caregiver’s that are only in the human service field to earn a paycheck and with the lack of parental involvement in their child’s life, it can make a caregiver’s job more challenging. Daycare centers serve as a stepping stone for a child’s future that will teach them how to establish appropriate skills and aid in the development of their cognitive abilities. Positive child interactions not only aid in the development of social and cognitive development, but also in the child’s self-esteem and it lets them know they are important and loved.