Women Empowerment Essay

When determining what constitutes quality child care one needs to ask several questions and seek out direct answers. In the previous section I covered some factors that contribute to positive caregiving, I would like to elaborate on a few of these. “Some key factors include: · Overall cleanliness of the child care setting. · Safety and health concerns. Is the house childproof? Are the electrical outlets covered? · Are there age-appropriate toys and books available? · Does the provider have a plan in case of accident or emergency? · Does the provider provide meals and formula? Do they make use of the dietary guidelines based on the four food groups?” (Children Today, 1992, p.28) When a parent seeks out answers to these questions he or she can make an informed decision about where to take their children and can feel comfortable with their decision. 

The study also identified factors that contributed to positive caregiving. Caregivers were rated as providing more positive caregiving when group sizes and child-adult ratios were smaller and when caregivers held less authoritarian beliefs about child raising. “Small group sizes, low child-adult ratios, caregivers’ nonauthoritarian child-raising beliefs, and safe, clean, and stimulating physical environments were consistently associated with positive caregiving behaviors.” (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1996) 

Recently there have been different viewpoints concerning the child care question, with assertions that non-parental care of young children is detrimental to their development. However, despite these assertions, research suggests that, given high quality care, the experience of child care is not harmful and can be beneficial to children. 

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