Personal Narrative: My Sister's Experience With Childcare

Felicia Bonner is a graduated from Florida State University and is the Director of Child Care Evaluation Services at the Children’s Forum since August of 2011. She originally started with the Forum in 1998 as a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor, and then moving into the position of overseeing the Director Credential Program in 1999 until 2005. In the summer of 2005 Felicia’s family relocated to Bradenton, Florida where she worked for the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County as an Early Learning Specialist for a year. Her professional interests center on early care and education. She recently volunteered with the Mayor’s Quality Task Force on Improved Quality and Affordable Childcare for All and for the last 4 years has volunteered with the United

Daycare has become a controversy because of the great quantity of advantages and disadvantages that it involves. While a very large number of parents have to rely on child care centers because of career ambitions or financial needs that only their jobs can fulfill, most child psychiatrists believe that the ideal growing environment for an infant is at home with the family. The problem is that choosing the right caregiver, a good substitute for the parents, is very hard, and the consequences of a wrong decision can be very detrimental to the child’s personality development. This choice depends on many factors like culture, education and especially income. In fact, the financial availability plays the most

Families have many choices for childcare, ranging from in-home care, a childcare facility, an after school program or a

Striving to provide high quality childcare provisions that support children’s development to reach their potential.

When I was nine, my parents divorced and my dad moved back to his hometown. When I was 11, my mom moved my family out of our hometown to Frederick, Maryland. My mom was a single, working mom, and I was often left responsible for my three younger siblings. For the past 6 years, I have been cooking meals, checking homework, and cleaning up after my siblings.

Along with knowing the purpose of quality daycare/child care facilities, the next important factor is to be aware of what generates a high quality daycare/child care facility. It is vital to know the characteristics because these prime objectives are the driving forces influenced by what children need in order to succeed and grow in their developmental skills. Fundamentally, “High quality [preschool] education can support early development in ways that yield long term social, cognitive and emotional benefits” (Barnett 2005, p1). The most essential aspect of a high quality facility are the trained, certified and attentive teachers hired to support children’s developmental needs. They ensure this by respectful interaction,

Before we began to build our family, my husband and I were both working full time jobs at an upwards of 60 hours a week. This was practical at the time, but I knew I could not continue to do so with an infant. This led me to leave my job of 3 years just before giving birth. After a few months, I debated long and hard on returning to work. After very careful consideration, I decided the best thing to do for everyone would be for me to stay home. I knew that being a stay at home mom would be hard. More importantly, I also knew that my daughter needed me to be there for her. It helped me learn that the plan you may have for yourself may not be the best plan for everyone else; being able to compromise for loved ones is always important.

For the children’s learning to be successful, parent involvement is critical. An orientation will occur prior to the children attending. Parents will be updated with the day care policies, the lay out of the day care, the expectations and the introduction of their child care provider. This is done to allow both the parent and child care provider to get to know each other and allows them both the opportunity to discuss the care the child will need. It is very important for communication between the parent and the day care staff to be consistent. Parent involvement can provide feedback to the parent in regards to what the children are learning daily. This helps with their child’s assessment of the program to

Little by little, children finish their meals and get ready for naptime. The children dump the remainder of their milk in the same sink where they wash their hands. Slowly children go lie down on their own. One of the TSS’s turns off the lights on that side of the room. Kayla puts on a rest time cd and goes to start cleaning up the kitchen. I ask what kind of music is playing but Kayla is not sure. Alyssa gets blankets for any children who need them. Kayla tells her the children only get their blanket if they are settled down. Seeing the children start to fall asleep I get ready to leave. Saying goodbye to Kayla and Alyssa, thanking them for their time.

My mom always was the one to make the decisions on childcare for us she wanted a place that would benefit us but also a place that was in her price range. She has always been very hesitant to let us stay with just anyone, she wants a place that has experience and reliability. My family has always used Pinecrest for most of my brothers and cousins. The one exception is my five month old little sister which my mother is choosing to stay at home with. My mother is a self employed at home childcare provider

“Today we are going to start on our first narrative essay,” says my English teacher to our Saturday class. I was a bit bored, so I decided to go on the computer. I was scrolling on the computer, something made me go on Indeed.com to look for daycare and babysitting jobs. I came across an in-home daycare named “Skokie Sprouts,” which only required a high school diploma or equivalent and were looking for a teacher assistant for only two days out of the week. I decided to apply for it and wished for the best.

I'm not the most privileged being on earth but I am a most compassionate one. My foster mother hailed from Mississippi. We were different in many ways, but she put it all aside to make sure that I was cared for. I decided to take up football my freshman year because I had begun taking a liking to it. I always had a competitive spirit and longed to put it to the test. My foster mother was extremely supportive and was glad that I was doing something worthwhile. I would exhibit the same compassion she had for me a little while later. My sophomore year, I had a friend who struggled with OCD. He didn't acquaint himself with many, yet I was his trustworthy and loyal friend. He was stressed out and decided that he was going to take a break from sports.

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.

Ah day cares, a place that provides a safe environment for children between the ages of six and ten to do their homework while building upon the relationships they share with their peers. A place for parents to keep their children until they get off work. It seems like a tranquil getaway for adolescents. But that’s not always the case. I have had first hand experience with the difficulties of maintaining order in a day care. I started working at Healthy U, a daycare at our local rec center for two years now, and I have observed the different types of booger eating monsters that have darken the door of the main entrance. Many times I want to pull my hair out but other times you just have

     Being a parent is not a job that can be left behind when the parents leave the home. It’s a tiring, happy demanding, joyous, overwhelming, loving job that is 24-7, 365 days a year. Parenting requires patience (a lot), children are unpredictable. Remember that quality time is the best thing that a parent can do and give to a child. Parenting requires money to raise children. Don’t forget that sleep will be lost