Most parents believe that good child care is necessary for their children, but you may not know that academic researchers also agree with this notion. A number of well designed research studies have concluded that a good preschool program provides children with the kinds of social skills they will need to become responsible citizens that give back to their communities. However, many parents are stumped by how to find a good child care center with an age appropriate preschool curriculum.
Finding good child care can be challenging for a number of reasons, one of which is that good day care is not cheap, and 90 percent of all child care costs are paid for by parents in the United States rather than any other source. So too is the average cost of child care for two small kids higher than the median rent payments in all states in the country according to Child Care Aware of America. The sad truth is that the vast majority of Americans cannot afford child care of the best standard.
High quality preschool is often an expensive proposition, especially for families where there is more than one child of preschool age at a time, and in single parent and low income families. As well, though programs do exist to help defray the costs of child care, they are few and far between. However, there is a national movement afoot to Federally fund child care so that more children can benefit from what a good daycare program offers.
Good daycare programs are held in many types of environments. For instance, high quality child care can be found in private daycare centers, on site employer provided child care centers, and home based child care centers. The single most important aspect of a high quality child care program is that the teachers and caregivers are well trained and have a real affinity for children. Play is the best way to encourage learning for preschool aged kids. Small children are natural learners who are extremely curious and love to explore their environment. Seeking out a program where experienced teachers engage the curiosity of young children will pay out in spades for your little ones down the road. Helpful info also found here.