Non-parental
Child Care
SOC 312
Lisa Tobler
October, 8th, 2012

Non-parental Child Care There are three types of non-parental child care. These are child care centers, care inside or outside the home by someone who is a relative or non-relative, and daycare in a home (Hagy, 1998). Centers or preschools are usually regulated while care inside or outside of the home are usually non-regulated. Each type of child care has different effects on psychological, social, and cognitive development for children. A child care center may be a place like Head Start or a preschool that has certain criteria that is regulated by the government (Hagy, 1998). In a center staff the teachers are required to have some form of education; many require at least 12 credit hours in early childhood education. The teachers have to follow lesson plans that meet standards of the center and the government. Many child care centers are large, have more than one location, and accept government assistance or go by income of the family to adjust payment accordingly. Care inside the home or outside the home is by a relative, at the child’s home or in the relative’s home. It can also be a non-relative in the child’s home or in the non-relatives home. A relative may be a cousin, aunt, uncle, or grandparent. A non-relative can be a regular babysitter, a nanny, or come from a nanny, au pair, babysitting service. A nanny or service providing care for a child can be expensive, but convenient for the parents when coming to the home. It could also be very cheap if the person caring for the child is a relative. A home based day care is another form of non-parental child care where the child is cared for in someone’s home with other children. This type of care is also regulated by government, but not as strict as a child care center, is small, and can also take government assistance. A home based center will have regulations such as adult to child ratio, safety, and nutrition programs; it varies by state (Hagy, 1998). Each type of child care will have different effects on the psychological, social, and cognitive development of a child. A child care center or preschool study showed that children who experienced this type of child care tend to like school more than children who attended a home based day care or care inside the home (Nabanita, 2012). Child care centers also are more structured, reading, learning the alphabet, numbers, and having free play, story time, and age appropriate toys are requirements at a center. Children learn how to share, make friends, and how to socialize with same age peers. Safety requirements are also in place, so a parent knows that age appropriate toys are being used, tables and chairs are accommodating to the child’s size, and shelving and any other hazards must be up to standards. They can also be very large and have a lower teacher to child ratio (Hagy, 1998). Children may not get as much one on one time because of this, there may not be as much time for a teacher to explain things to a child, for example why a behavior is not ok, and may just put the child in time out without telling them why it is not ok to pinch another child. There is also less time to redirect as much behavior, or a teacher may not see a child performing an unwanted behavior. This can make a child feel like they are bad, or learn that as long as no one sees, a behavior is ok. A daycare in a home also has regulations, such as safety, age appropriate toys, and depending on the state, requirements for learning. A home daycare is not as large as a center, and a child may receive more one on one attention in this setting. There is more time to explain behaviors to a child and catch behaviors that need to be redirected. Children can also learn the same things as in a center like counting, the alphabet, has free play, and learns how to share and play with other children. They can also learn cognitive skills such as jumping, riding a tricycle. Children in this setting may feel better cared about than in a larger center. Child care inside the home may be with a family member or with someone who care for your child in the home such as nanny. A child may bond with this person more than they would at a home daycare or in a center. It can be really great to form a close bond with a family member for the child. The child feels cared for and loved, though they may not be as social as children in other types of care. There is no regulation for learning or safety, so the home needs to be child proofed. Learning can happen in this type of care, but it is not required or regulated by the government. Many children are behind socially by the time they go to kindergarten, but they catch up to the other children within a year or two (Nabanita, 2012). Each type of child care can have negative impacts on a child socially, psychologically, and cognitively if the child care is not of high quality (Nabanita, 2012). Each also can be very positive if the quality of care is high, the child will learn, feel loved, and cared for. Then, analyze the influences that non-parental childcare has on psychological, social and cognitive development.
Reference:
Blau, D, & Hagy, A. (1998). The demand for quality in child care. Journal of Political Economy 106(1).
The University of Chicago Press.
Berns, R. (2010). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support. Belmont, Ca:Wadsworth
Nabanita, D., & Simonsen, M., (2012). The effects of type of non-parental child care on pre-teen skills And risky behavior. Economic Letters 116(3). Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2012.06.020