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Issue #47: September, 2009
News From 4C
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Watch as
4C and FOX 19 tell parents what to look for when choosing
quality child care. To watch video...
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Get ready
to rock to 80s music-and support 4C! 4C for Children
will participate as a beneficiary in the Nov. 21 Rusty Ball,
an event to benefit Greater Cincinnati nonprofits hosted by
the Rusty Griswolds, a popular Cincinnati 80s cover
band. Tickets go on sale Oct. 7. For more...
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Sallie
Westheimer is blogging! Join Sallie Westheimer, longtime
advocate for quality early childhood education and executive
director of 4C for Children, in
this conversation on local and national issues in the field of
early childhood education and care. Visit blogsallie.
News From Parent
Central
Does
Your State Protect Your Child By Setting Minimum Health
and Safety Standards?
Parents
need safe, reliable and affordable child care while they work.
They also need a place where their children can develop and learn so
they enter school ready to succeed. In the United States today, over
11 million children under age 5 are spending an average of 36 hours
per week in the care of someone other than their mother or father.
Given
the importance of child care in the early development of children,
NACCRRA commissioned a nationwide telephone survey of 1,004 parents
with young children. The survey asked parents' perceptions about
child care in general and how they use it for their
families.
Results
from our survey indicate parents logically assume that child care
settings are regularly inspected for health and safety standards.
Parents think that caregivers have some basic training in taking
care of children. The reality is that half the states inspect child
care settings once a year or less frequently. Some states inspect
child care settings once every 5 or 10 years. Most states do not
require child care providers to have any training in child
development before working with children.
NACCRRA's
poll showed that many parents were willing to invest in the quality
of child care. The vast majority of parents believed that:
- Providers
were trained in child development and to recognize child
abuse
- Providers
were trained in first-aid and CPR
- Providers
had background checks before working with children
- State
governments licensed all child care programs
- State
governments inspected all child care programs
- State
government regulations were in place to support quality child
care
The
expectation and beliefs of parents are understandable. They are
common sense. What does not make sense is the states' current lax
approach to child care standards and enforcement.
Parents
Can Make Their Expectations Become Reality
When
bills are introduced in states that propose changing child care
licensing standards, those who benefit from the status quo will
protest against these changes. Parents - as advocates for their
children - have every right to voice their opinions too! The reality
is parents who need to work also need to know that they are sending
their children to a safe place while they work.
There
are mixed feelings around the parents' responsibility for child care
in this country, but the bottom line is children need to be safe,
healthy, and learning in child care.
For
additional information about our report, key findings, data, and
policies in individual states, click on the links below.
Feel free to contact
Rhonda Everdyke in NACCRRA's public policy department with any
questions or concerns about your state's child care reality. Rhonda.everdyke@naccrra.org
or 703.341.4108.
RAISE YOUR HAND
FOR CHILD CARE! Join us! It's
completely free and there's no obligation to do
anything other than learn more about high-quality child
care!
http://highqualitychildcare.org/ct/vp111111BUzL/
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Organizations That
Advocate for Children and Families
NACCRRA, National Association of Child Child
Care Resource and Referral Agencies, the publisher of
Parent Central Express and our nation's leading voice for
child care, is a 501(c)(3) organization. Since 1987, NACCRRA
has been working to improve the system of early learning for
children by: Providing training, resources, and best practices
standards to local and state Child Care Resource and Referral
Agencies; Promoting national policies and partnerships that
facilitate universal access to high quality child care;
Collecting, analyzing, and reporting current child care data
and research, and; Offering child care and parenting resources
to families and connecting families to local CCR&R
services.
The Every Child Matters Education Fund is a
501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization working to
make children, youth, and families a national political
priority. ECM promotes the adoption of smart policies for
children and youth.
MomsRising is working to bring together
millions of people who share a common concern about the need
to build a more family-friendly America. Started in May of
2006, MomsRising works to create cultural and legislative
change to advance workplace policies that will support
families.
First
Five Years Fund is committed to improving the lives
of at-risk children by leveraging cost-effective investments
in early learning. FFYF aims to focus nationwide attention and
resources on comprehensive, quality early care and learning
programs for children from birth to age five.
The
National Association for the Education of Young
Children is dedicated to improving the well-being of
all young children, with particular focus on the quality of
educational and developmental services for all children from
birth through age 8. NAEYC is committed to becoming an
increasingly high performing and inclusive organization.
These are only a few of the great organizations
that work to advance the cause of child care in the US. Every
month, we will bring you information about more great
organizations focused on the needs of children and
families. |
Parent Central Express is the monthly
e-newsletter of Parent Central, a program dedicated
to helping parents access information on children's issues and
resources on parenting. Parent Central is a program of the National
Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies
(NACCRRA). |
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Activities for Parents & Children
Join the Child
Care Aware Parent Network (it's FREE) so you have access
to the High-Five
Learning Center. Brought to you by Highlights
Magazine, you will find fun activities for your family.
Have you invited a friend to join the CCA
Parent Network?
It's easy! Just click here to send an e-card invitation to
a friend.
Free
Webinar:
Child Care, Family, and Work/Life Balance: Share
it All. Have it All!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 8:30
pm EST
Presenter: Sharon Meers
Parents' Perceptions of Child Care in
the United States
NACCRRA's National Parent Poll
With over 11 million children under age 5 in some
type of child care setting every week, the National
Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
(NACCRRA) conducted a poll of over 1000 parents to find out
their perceptions of child care.
View
Online
Tell Congress: Strengthen
training for child care providers!
Better training for child care providers often
correlates with higher quality child care.
However, few states require child care center-based
providers to have any training in early childhood development
before working with children-in fact, some don't even require
pre-service fire safety, child abuse prevention and CPR
training.
Working
Moms Want Safe Child Care!
Currently, over 70 percent of women with
children are in the labor force. Over 11 million
children under age 5 are in some type of child care setting
every week. Yet, Congress has failed to make sure the
Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the primary
federal funding stream for child care in the United States,
keeps children safe and promotes healthy development.
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