AFRIL £2, 1954
Reliable care for family members
(is really everybody’s problem, more
‘so as women enter the labor market
in ever-increasing numbers.
“There is no valid research that
points to the return of the majority
of women to full-time caregiving at
home,” according to Christine Crist,
Director of the Pennsylvania Com-
mission for Women. ‘‘Although
those who are able to choose the
traditional role should be given
every encouragement to do so, most
~ women are working outside as well
‘as inside the home, and even more
_ are intending to, the data show. The
nostalgic yearning for the good old
days apparently is now shared by
most women. Recognizing this, the
Commission is looking into the ways
employers, communities, and fami-
lies are trying to meet the growing
demand for day care.”
Recent research done by Gettys-
‘burg College senior Maria Palombo,
while an intern with the Commis-
sion for Women, documents the
need for more day care. Palomba
defines day care, a service often
misconceived as a type of nursery
school, as *‘...full or part-time care
during the day or night for children
under 18 years or for adults of 18
years and older who require some
‘supervision. Services for day care
range from in-home care provided
in the home of the child or adult, to
family home care offered in the
- home of the provider, to care
offered by a staff in a day care
center.”
Palombo cites statistics compiled
by the Women’s Bureau of the U.S.
. Department of Labor, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, the National Com-
mission on Working Women, and
other groups to illustrate the nation-
wide demographical changes that
requires these services. She found
that 50 percent of adult women, 50
percent of women with children
under six, and 66 percent of mothers
of school-aged children work outside
the home. Furthermore, 90 percent
~ of all single parent households are
. headed by women, 80 percent of all
persons over 65 have a surviving
child being called on for care, and
there are almost 8.5 million disabled
(adults depending on other adults.
The traditional family, pictured
‘with the mother in the home giving
primary care to children and depen-
dent adults, is no longer the norm.
The economic necessity which con-
tributed to this swing is not
expected to diminish. In fact, Work-
ing Mother in October, 1983 pre-
“dicted that another 1.5 million chil-
dren under six will have mothers in
the workforce by 1990.
The need for formalized day care
has escalated also as a result of
another demographic change. In
1958, 57 percent of preschool chil-
' dren were cared for by a relative.
By 1982, this percentage had
“dropped fo 29 percent, a drop par-
tially attributed by Palombo to the
high mobility of our society in the
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recent decades.
Are these needs being met? Pal-
ombo contends they are not. Help
from the government has come in
the form of tax credits, subsidies,
and assistance programs, but Pal-
ombo concludes that these are not
sufficient and suggests that initia-
tives must come from the private
sector and individual employers as
well. “The implementation of the
federal and industry-sponsored day
care programs (during World War
II) offers proof that, (in this way),
the United States can meet the
demands for day care.”
Despite a surge in the number of
private day care centers, demand
exceeds supply. Much of this gap
may be attributable to problems
like the costs of providing good care
translating into fees many women
cannot afford and the reluctant
acceptance by society of the concept
of generations of children growing
up outside the home. However,
another contributing factor is the
sheer lack of structure in the field.
As on any business frontier, sup-
pliers are cautiously determining
the delicate balance pooint at which
their service is desirable, lucrative
and not over-priced. Meanwhile, it
seems service suppliers’ entrance
into themarket may remain slow.
What are some of the solutions
emerging in the private sector?
TRADITIONAL CARE
The number of traditional day
care centers is growing, if slowly.
More education is available for
those who wish to establish in-home
care. Community Centers are striv-
ing to meet the more varied needs
by providing transportation for
after-school programs and by estab-
lishing intergenerational centers.
Messiah Village, near Harrisburg,
unites the elderly and the young at
the Children’s Family Center.
Retired residents assist the profes-
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
Sutton.
sionals there, becoming ‘special
friends” with young children; the
relationships are beneficial to both
age groups. Wendy Wingate, one of
the group supervisors, comments,
“Residents are integral to the pro-
gram. Being needed makes anyone
live longer.” Other new ideas, like
the State College American Associa-
tion of University Women’s Phone
What to look
“The benefits of a good day-care
experience extend throughout your
child’s life,” states Peggy Patten,
instructor and head teacher at the
University of Illinois Child Develop-
ment Lab, writing in the April issue
of PTA Today, the magazine of the
National PTA. In the article, Patten
mentions ways to determine the
quality of a good day-care center,
and the major concerns and ques-
tions parents should consider when
evaluating a program.
According to Patten, “Two good
ways to judge the quality of a
center are to talk with parents
whose children attend the center
and to visit the center.” By visiting
a center, parents can observe its
program firsthand and talk with the
administrative or program director,
says Patten. But be sure to call in
advance to make an appointment
since day-care centers are busy
places, she advises.
Center location, cost, and number
of hours open are common consider-
ation when selecting a center. But
more importantly, the author sug-
gests that parents closely evaluate a
center’s curriculum, staff, physical
space, and family-school relations.
Keeping these four major con-
cerns in mind, here are some ques-
should ask a center director or
parent involved in the program.
— What are the center’s early
childhood educational goals?
— Is there a planned daily pro-
gram, and if so, does it promote
learning?
— Do all teachers meet your
state’s minimum requirements for
teacher training in early childhood
education?
— Is there evidence of good rela-
tionships among children, and
between teachers and children?
Is the environment large
enough to accommodate a variety of
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needs?
— Is there sufficient rest time,
and are meals and snacks nufri-
tious?
— Is the facility clean and does it
take into account a child's health
and safety?
— Are current medical records
and emergency information main-
tained for each child and staff
member?
— Does staff acknowledge and
respect the children’s different
family cultural backgrounds and
lifestyles?
— Are families involved in the
center, and are they encouraged to
observe or participate in programs?
These are only a handful of the
questions to consider when evaluat-
ing a day-care program. Patten
believes that the parents’ decision
should be an informed one, but one
that also includes common sense.
Copies of the April issue of PTA
Today are available for $1.00 each
by sending a check or money order
(made payable to National PTA) to
National PTA, 700 North Rush
Street; Chicato, Illinois 60611-2571.
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
1
Friend Program, a phone network
latch-key children can use in lonely
after-school hours, are also pioneers
EMPLOYER’S PROGRAMS
Employers, like day care provi-
ders, are facing a new and volatile
free market. Companies are begin-
ning to be forced to develop parent
benefit packages that are competi-
tive with those of more progressive
employers. Benefits come in the
form of paid day care hours (direct
subsidies to employees), sponsor-
ship of outside day care programs;
on-site day care, referral programs,
educational seminars on available
options in the commuity, and day
care center consortiums with other
companies. Palombo claims that
despite recent growth in this area,
employer programs remain rare.
An example of an employer-
related center is the Great Valley
Corporate Child Development
Center, developed by Rouse and
Associates in Malvern. The Corpo-
rate Center was conceived as a
modern, campus-like area where
and health facilities, restaurants
}
and other service businesses, and.
day care for the families of employ="
ees. A facility with space for 125+
children is scheduled to open in the.
fall; meanwhile, one is already in
operation in a temporary spaces
Although at the moment the Center.
Jane Payne anticipates an employer
subsidy plan in the near future. This
facility is believed by the develop-
ers to be the first of its kind in the-
U.S. cs
FOR STUDENTS -
A recent survey of the 14 commu==
nity colleges in Pennsylvania indi--
cated that almost all had some sort
of day care facility. For instance;
Montgomery County Community.
College has a cooperative which’
functions on fees and parent hours.
Butler County Community College
offers ‘‘Playcare,” funded by fees
and the student senate. Harrisburg
Area Community College Child Play
Center charges parents only $1.00
per hour — a low fee made possible
by subsidies from the Student Gov-
ernment Association. These centers.
are active. At HACC, though capac-*
ity is only for 25, staff may see
more than 75 children per day as.
parents drop off their children for*
one or two hours and pick them up
after class.
NEW KINDS OF SERVICES
New breeds of companies are
meeting some concomitant needs.
Child Care, -Inc., of Lansdale, pro-
vides an extensive referral service
to its clients and corporations in the
Delaware Valley area. This allows
employers to match employees’
needs with child care, saving
employees a good deal of search
time and stress. Dr. Sydelle Mason,
of Child” Care, Inc., explains that
through extensive data studies, the
company found that parents on the
average spend 10 hours finding day
care, change centers once a year,
and miss five work days per year
because of child care problems.
The firm also documents other
impact on the workplace, such as
whether an employee would consi-
der resigning due to lack of day
care and how much sooner after”
maternity leave an employee would
return could she find adequate day’
care. This information proves to the
employer that participation in a
referral service not only helps the
parent and improves employer-
employee relations, but also saves
numerous employee-related costs. =n
Payne believes that as more data:
is. collected..and new. ideas prove"
cost-effective, more employers will
be willing to provide benefits. More
entrepreneurs may see opportuni
ties in providing services. Palombo:
concludes, however, that solutions
are lagging far behind mounting
demands.
“An adequate supply of quality
day care will contribute to the!
equality of women as well as to the
development of children,” she said.
‘‘When...the (economic and social)
advantages of day. care programs
(are realized), this nation will be
able to give day care services the
priority they deserve.”
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
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