2.01 CHILD CARE PROGRAM COMPARISON

Private Home-Based Care: Caring for children in one’s own home; a caregiver who comes to the home

Private Home-based care Advantages: Individualized attention, children play with others, homelike environment, may be less expensive Disadvantages: No certification or inspection process; parent provides transportation to and from the center

Center-Based Care: Caring for a child/children in a center outside of outside of the home

Center-based Care Advantages: Provides physical, intellectual, emotional and social development for children Disadvantages: less individual attention; more exposure to illness;vary in types of activities, equipment and play areas provided

CHILD CARE CENTERS DESCRIPTION: Purpose is provide safe environment for children of fulltime working parents  License required by state  13+ children ages 6 weeks to 13 years  Informal play or emphasis on the whole child: physical and health, language and communication, approaches to learning, cognitive, emotional, and social development (PLACES)

CHILD CARE CENTERS ADVANTAGES: Cares for basic needs of child; concern for the child’s physical care primarily DISADVANTAGES: May be crowded and commercialized High child/adult ratio LOCAL PROGRAMS: Gingerbread; Ready or Not, Here I Grow Day School; Johnson Pond Learning Center; Goddard School; Spinning Wheels

Preschool DESCRIPTION: Primary purpose is provide educational services for children 3 to 5 years Usually scheduled for 2½ hours in the morning or afternoon Informal play or emphasis on the whole child: physical and health, language and communication, approaches to learning, cognitive, emotional, and social development (PLACES)

Preschool ADVANTAGES: Provides extra stimulation and variety of experiences Social skill development prior to formal education DISADVANTAGES: Half-day program Inconvenient unless parents can work out transportation and child care for the rest of the day LOCAL PROGRAMS: Sometimes managed by religious organizations or owned by private organizations.

FAMILY CHILD CARE DESCRIPTION: Child care within a family residence providing care for 4 or more children but no more than 6, except for school age. ADVANTAGES: Homelike, low ratios (1-6 including own children) DISADVANTAGES: Not structured, caregiver can go about their daily work/chores and not give total thought to your child. Difficult to enforce licensing and credentials of caregiver. LOCAL PROGRAMS: Many homes

HEAD START DESCRIPTION: Federal child care program that helps children from low-income families enter kindergarten at a higher level.

HEAD START ADVANTAGES: Comprehensive program: Government funded, meals, shots, health care, professional staff, government funded, transportation, counseling provided. Activities focus on building self-esteem, and helping children and families work together to solve problems. Programs have a strong educational component. DISADVANTAGES: Children may have emotional problems Children from low-income households may have risk factors

MONTESSORI SCHOOLS DESCRIPTION: Self-directed learning working with Montessori objects/activities using concrete objects and their 5 senses. ADVANTAGES: Skill-based, teaches self motivation and basic life skills, quiet, calm, and orderly DISADVANTAGES: Limited teacher/student interaction

UNIVERSTIY SPONSORED/ LABORATORY SCHOOLS DESCRIPTION: #1 goal is to teach student teachers, not the child ADVANTAGES: Ratios low, professional curriculum, student interns are trained DISADVANTAGES: Limited enrollment, children are observed and behaviors studied by student interns LOCAL PROGRAMS: NCSU

EMPLOYER SPONSORED CHILD CARE DESCRIPTION: Parents can work near child and drop in during the day ADVANTAGES: Promotes family togetherness; sick child care provided; parent has less sick days DISADVANTAGES: Child may have a longer day while parents work LOCAL PROGRAMS: Bright Horizons

Smart Start Description:North Carolina's nationally recognized and award-winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC)North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) is nonprofit organization that provides oversight and technical assistance for local partnerships. Smart Start funds help parents pay for child care. ADVANTAGES: improves the quality of child care, helps fund child care, services offered depend on local (county)needs. DISAVANTAGES: Limited funding/Not a place

NANNY DESCRIPTION: A nanny provides care in a child’s home. ADVANTAGES: Care for child at home is convenient, reliable and stable care, children stay in home environment, individualized care, provides multiple services in the home to child and family. DISADVANTAGES: Expensive, children may not have opportunities to play with others

Au Pair DESCRIPTION: A person from a foreign country who lives with a family and performs task similar to a nanny. Advantages: Provides multiple services in home to child and family, individualized attention, children can learn about another culture Disadvantages: Expensive, children may not have opportunities to play with others

Stay –at-home Parent Description: Parent stays with child in the family home Advantages: Child is in familiar surrounding, stability of one care- giver over time Disadvantages: Less income with one parent working, skillset for work may become obsolete or decline

Factors which influence selection of child care sites Cost, location, and hours of operation Discipline methods used Program activities and equipment and supplies Adult-child ratios Personal qualities of caregivers Cleanliness of center & health department rating Star rating Training and education of staff Nutrition program Transportation provided