Chapter 4. Infancy: Socioemotional Development

Introduction

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Child care is something that the majority of families will have to consider. The average cost of care for one child can range from $5,000 to $15,000 per year (Palley & Shdaimah, 2011). Many parents try to turn to family members to reduce the costs. For those parents who rely on paid caregivers they can choose between nannies or babysitters, family day care, or a day-care center.

Licensed day-care centers are a rather new child care option. However, by the end of the twentieth century almost half of U.S. preschoolers attended one of these facilities. The quality of these day cares is something that should be considered when selecting one.

4.1 Activity

In this activity, you will select the best day-care option for infant care.

Imagine that you are a parent with an infant and must return to work. You need to find a licensed day care center for your child. Based on the descriptions below, indicate both the pros and cons of each day care center.

1. Little Stars Child Care

This licensed day-care center is within 5 miles of your home. The cost of care is $100.00 per week. When visiting the center you find that the setting appears to be both clean and safe.

In the infant room, there are 10 cribs in rows with one caregiver in the room. The cribs all have clean sheets and blankets and are equipped with bumper pads, mobiles, and infant toys. Seven of the cribs have an infant in them.

The caregiver is feeding one infant a bottle and the last infant is swinging in a swing. Several of the infants are crying. When you talk to the caregiver, she informs you that she recently started working there and has been there for a little over three weeks. The caregiver seems patient with the infants crying and is caring toward the infant she is feeding, rocking the baby in a rocking chair while feeding it.

When looking around the room, you see a clean station with bottles and formulas. Both bottles and formulas are labeled with the infant’s names. There are also three infant swings, a few bouncy seats, and other infant toys that all appear clean.

2. Peas in a Pod Child Care

This licensed day-care center is within 5 miles of your home and costs $150.00 per week. When visiting the center you find that the setting appears to be both clean and safe.

In the infant room, there are 7 cribs lined up along the different walls of the room with two female caregivers in the room. The cribs all have clean sheets and blankets and are equipped with bumper pads. However, only three of the cribs have mobiles. There are no infant toys in any of the cribs. Three of the cribs have an infant in them. One of the caregivers is feeding an infant a bottle while a second infant is placed in a swing with a bottle propped in its mouth. The other caregiver is changing the diaper of another infant. Only one of the infants is currently crying.

When you talk to the caregivers, both inform you that they have worked at the facility for over two years and have worked in the infant room together the entire time. Both caregivers seem patient with the infant crying and are caring toward the infants they are tending to.

When looking around the room, you see two rocking chairs (including the one the caregiver is sitting in) and the station for preparing bottles looks clean. Bottles and formulas are labeled with the infants’ names. There are two infant swings, one bouncy seat, and some infant toys in a small bin. All of the toys appear clean.

3. Small Daisies Child Care

This licensed day-care center is 10 miles from your home and costs $160.00 per week. When visiting the center you find that the setting appears to be both clean and safe.

In the infant room, there are 6 cribs lined up in two rows of three. There are two caregivers in the room, one male and one female. The cribs all have clean sheets, blankets, and bumper pads on them along with a mobile. There are no infant toys in any of the cribs. Two of the cribs have infants in them asleep. One infant is in a swing. The male caregiver is rocking an infant in a rocking chair and the female caregiver is changing the diaper of another infant. None of the infants are crying.

When you talk to the caregivers, you realize that one just started and the other caregiver has worked at the facility for five years. The caregiver who has worked there for five years has spent the last two years in the infant room. Before that they were in the toddler room for three years. Both caregivers seem patient and caring toward the infants they are tending to. When looking around the room, you see two rocking chairs (including the one the caregiver is sitting in).

The station for preparing bottles is in need of cleaning. Bottles and formulas are labeled with the infants’ names. There are three infant swings, three bouncy seats, and plenty of infant toys in two small bins. Some of the toys appear to be missing pieces but all appear clean.

4.2 Something to Consider

Finding the best possible licensed day-care center is definitely not easy for parents. Parents should look for a low staff turnover rate and caregivers who are empathic and warm. For parents with infants and/or toddlers, a small group setting is preferable. The child’s biology is also important. It turns out that the impact day care has on children results from the quality of the program and the child’s home life, as well as the child’s biology. Even so, many parents feel guilty for having to place their child in a day-care center. These parents should keep in mind that their child may blossom at a high-quality day care. Moreover, it is the parents' responsiveness that matters most. Parents are their child’s first and most important teacher and greatest provider of safety and security.

As a parent, you’ll have to make many difficult choices. Choosing a day care or other care situation might be one of the first and you’ll need to weigh the many options carefully.

What would your care priorities be?