Anyone who has ever had to raise a child while holding down a job or juggling other responsibilities knows that child care can be a godsend. Unfortunately, people also have a lot of misconceptions about what child care is supposed to be. Some of these misconceptions and myths are relatively harmless, but some could convince parents to avoid seeking out the kinds of quality child care services that they may need to help raise their children while working full-time. Here are some of the more common myths associated with children's daycare.
Myth: A Licensed Daycare Service will be a Good Daycare Service
Many parents believe that a daycare license is a good indicator of quality. While a licensed child care provider will be more likely to provide quality care, don't assume that a child care service is ideal for your child just because it has a license. Many states only award child care licenses based on a few qualifications such as staff qualifications or child-to-staff ratio; they don't necessarily look at a service as a whole.
When visiting a child care program, look for other accreditations such as NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children) as a mark of high quality care.. .
Myth: Daycare is Just Babysitting
This is a myth that will probably never go away, and it's not hard to understand why. The primary reason parents utilize a child care service is so they will have someone to look out for their children while they tend to their other obligations. From that perspective, it's easy to lump child care providers together with babysitters, but many child care services can do much more than monitor children. Many providers offer preschool services that are very valuable in preparing young children for kindergarten and grade school.. There are certainly some child care services that aren't any different from what a babysitter can offer, but never assume that child care is just babysitting.
Myth: Good Daycare is Easy to Find in Any Neighborhood
This myth often ties into the "daycare is just babysitting" misconception. Many people believe that watching other people's children and keeping them out of trouble is an easy job that anybody can do, so there must be some great child care services in every neighborhood across the country. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. If you are lucky, the perfect daycare or preschool may be just around the corner from you, but be prepared to search high and low to find the perfect child care for your child.
Child Care is often more complicated than people believe, and this can catch new parents off-guard if they're not ready for it. When you need to find a good child care provider, it's best to set aside the myths you may have heard and do your own research.
For quality child care services in Connecticut or Western Pennsylvania, consider enrolling your child in one of the early childhood education programs from Tender Care Learning Centers. Each child care program at Tender Care Learning Centers focuses on providing your child with a safe, nurturing environment while promoting active learning, social interaction and self-exploration. Stop by one of our locations today, and discover how our committed team of directors and teachers can help your child grow.
