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Appreciating the professionalism of their child care provider does not come easy for parents. After all, the term “baby-sitter” has not gone the way of the dinosaur and become extinct when it comes to child care. Despite the trust parents put in a facility or caregiver to provide quality care for their child, caregivers quite often do not receive the respect they deserve for a job well done.

What can a parent do to show appreciation for their caregiver? Start by treating your caregiver as a professional at all times. Imagine what your life would be like if you did not have the care, nurturing, and dedication she provides. She is vital part of your family. And she deserves to be treated with the same professionalism you give to your dentist, dry cleaner, or hair stylist.

Showing your appreciation is really quite simple:

* Pay your caregiver on time and never, ever, grump about the cost of her services. Can you imagine if your employer did that to you: “Here’s your check, but gosh I wish I didn’t have to pay you so much for doing such a valuable job.”
* Be prompt picking up your child. It’s a long day for your caregiver just as it is for you. Show respect for her time.
* Be cheerful when you drop-off and pick up your child. Your caregiver has had a long hard day too, and a cheerful disposition from you can make her day.
* Respect the daycare’s schedule for child’s naps, mealtimes, etc. If you need to talk to your caregiver, ask her when the best time to call would be, and call her when you say. She’s most likely holding up her schedule in anticipation of handling your concerns. Be courteous and on time.
* Say “thank you” when your caregiver does something special for you or your child. Don’t let anything go unnoticed. That craft she worked so hard on with the children for Valentine’s day should be acknowledged. An upbeat “thanks you” says so much. Think of what you are teaching your child at the same time. If he/he sees you treating your caregiver with respect and appreciation, your child will do the same.
* Respect your caregiver’s policies, especially on issues of sick child care, etc. You accepted these terms when you signed the contract with her. If one child sent home sick saves your child from getting the virus and you from having to take time off from work to deal with it, be thankful. When it’s your turn to keep your child home, just deal with it. Have your backup plan in place so you can act on it quickly.
* Appreciate her training and education. It benefits your child immensely.

Shift work, unusual hours and casual employment are just some of the special needs and circumstances by which the typical child care arrangement falls short of being adequate for many parents.

But it is finding care for a mildly ill child that causes parents the most grief.

Naturally parents prefer to be home when their child is seriously ill, after all no one can replace Mom or Dad on those days. The challenge arises when the child is feeling better but is still too ill to attend child care or school.

Recommendations

According to the Child Care Action Campaign, in their CCAC Information Guide 21, Temporary Care for the Mildly Ill Sick Child, many experts now believe that children with colds and other simple respiratory illnesses need not be excluded from their regular child care programs. “In fact,” CCAC notes, ” studies show no correlation between excluding children with mild respiratory infections and preventing the spread of the illness. With most illnesses, children are contagious for at least three to five days before they develop any signs or symptoms.”

A child with a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or a contagious disease such as chicken pox or measles (common scenarios for parents) should be kept home to prevent the spread of the illness. If you are not prepared though, those all-be-it simple words, “Mom, I feel sick,” can actually make you feel sick. What do you do?

Relative Care

Most parents prefer to have a family member such as an aunt or grandparent look after their child when he or she is ill. Pediatricians recommend this type of care for sick children. A loving face and familiar surroundings are extremely comforting.
Care In Your Home

If relative care is not an option, home care or homemaker services offer in-home emergency care for mildly ill children. You can locate these services in the Yellow Pages of your phone book under Homemaker Services.

Shop around ahead of time for the best price and caregiver qualifications. You’ll want to be sure the caregivers have training in CPR, first aid, illness assessment, child development, as well as the preparation of nutritious meals and snacks, administering of medication, providing activities geared to the child’s age and illness, and maintaining a safe and healthy environment.
Care In A Family Daycare Home

Consult your local resource and referral agency to find out if there are any family daycare providers in your area who provide care for mildly ill children. Screen the caregiver, and, if time allows (do your best to make it), visit with the caregiver a few times so that you and your child are familiar with her and the surroundings.

Local Resource and Referral Agencies

Your local child care resource and referral agency or Social Services office can also tell you if any other programs for mildly ill children exist in your community. For example, there may be specialized medical facilities, either a hospital, daycare centre for mildly ill children, or a medical clinic who can accommodate your child. Ask if there are any family dayhome associations who can arrange to have a caregiver come to your home.

Obviously the downside to such arrangements is the lack of caregiver continuity, or the nervousness one feels leaving a sick child in the hands of a stranger, even if it is just for one or two days. Having your backup care arrangements firmly in place, doing your homework by investigating the available agencies and caregivers will give you some peace of mind – if there is any solace to be found in such a situation

No matter how careful a parent is in selecting child care, there is always the risk of child abuse. It is possible for even babies to be abused or neglected. But how is a parent to know when and if their child is being abused? The fact is, there is no standard behavioral patterns for children who are abused or neglected. A child’s reaction to such treatment is as individual as the child. There are however, some general signs that can alert a parent to abuse.

Behavioral Changes

* loss of appetite;
* a tendency to overeat;
* even the onset of nightmares or bedwetting.

A parent should also be concerned if their child shows or expresses an intense dislike for the caregiver. It is not unusual for a child to feel anxious about being separated from the parent. The concern comes when the child, who has begun to throw tantrums or who cries heavily at the sight of the caregiver or the center, is acting in a way inconsistent with his or her normal behavior. This could indicate a cry for help.

Improper Care

The signs of improper care being given to babies and infants may be more difficult to detect. Babies have been left in their car seats for virtually the whole day receiving neither physical or emotional care. In a situation such as this:

* A child may tire or become listless.
* The child may become completely detached from his or her environment.
* The child may show signs of developmental delays resulting from the lack of stimulation and affection.
* On the other hand, a baby or infant may become more demanding of a parent’s attention and affection.
* Sleep patterns may become disturbed.
* The child may develop a severe case of diaper rash, may vomit or become anemic.

Cuts, Bruises and Welts

Other signs of abuse may be more evident. Such is the case with unexplained cuts, bruises, burns or welts. A good provider will tell a parent when and how an accident occurred, and should provide an accident report of some sort. Anything out of a child’s normal pattern for such accidents should be looked into.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse, every parent’s worst nightmare, may show itself in any of the aforementioned signs. Other possible signs include:

* torn or stained clothing;
* abnormal walk;
* an odd vaginal smell or discharge;
* pain in the region;
* possibly even trouble in swallowing;
* and a knowledge of sex unusual for the age of the child.

The Parent’s Role

What should a parent do if child or sexual abuse is suspected?

* For the well being of the child a parent must remain calm, and should not, in any way accuse, or upset the child.
* If the child is old enough, a parent should discuss the findings with him or her, then listen and be sympathetic, allowing the child as much time as is necessary to disclose what information he or she is willing or able to at that time.
* A parent should take the child to their family doctor or pediatrician for a full examination.

The Doctor’s Role

If the doctor or pediatrician confirms abuse, he or she will notify the proper authorities who will then take over the case. If a doctor is uncomfortable or unwilling to become involved in the situation, the parent should ask for a referral to another doctor or for the number where they themselves can report the abuse. And they must follow up on these referrals.<./p>

If for any reason a parent suspects their child is being neglected or abused, the child should be removed from the care immediately. To help eradicate child abuse, parents must improve their skills for detecting such problems. As Aristotle once said, “The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than on mere survival.” For more information on how to recognize and report child abuse, contact your local ministry or social/community services office, located in the “blue pages” of your phone book.

For most daycare centers, September is a transition month. Older children head off to attend grade school leaving openings for new children. It is an opportune time to increase rates – new kids, new parents, new rates. But for those parents currently using the center, a rate increase may not seem fair or just. It is an unfortunate fact that daycare is expensive, costing the average family approximately 20% of their yearly income. Not an easy pill to swallow.

That cost is low, however, compared to the paucity of wages child care providers earn. It is these low wages plus a lack of benefits that, unbeknownst to parents, actually helps to subsidize their child care fees. According to the 1989 National Child Care Staffing Study, conducted by the Child Care Employee Project and Caring For A Living, The National Study on Wages and Working Conditions in Canadian Child Care, child care ranks among the 10 lowest paid jobs. Average salaries are only one-half the national median.

That translates into an hourly wage for child care teaching staff of only $5.35 per hour or $9,363 per year in the U.S., and $9.07 per hour in Canada, a fact that makes it difficult for many to remain in the profession, says the Child Care Action Campaign in their Information Guide 27, Wages and Benefits in Child Care. The turnover rate for daycare workers ranks as one of the highest.

The High Cost of Staff Turnover

“High turnover erodes the quality of care”, notes the C.C.A.C. “Children need continuity in order to form trusting and loving bonds with their teachers and caregivers. But constant turnover makes that almost impossible.”

Indeed, it is common knowledge within the child care profession that high staff turnover has been associated with poor developmental outcomes for children. In their statement, Why Child Care Matters, Preparing Young Children for a More Productive America, the Committee for Economic Development (C.E.D.), says that even with the increased cost of “providing care of a constant quality … providers are hesitant to raise fees beyond what they believe parents are willing or able to pay.” In essence, keeping labor costs low is the only way providers feel they can keep fees down.

Are Current Parent Fees Enough?

Do current parents’ fees cover the true cost of child care? Not really. In fact, C.E.D.’s statement points out that what parents pay covers only a fraction of child care’s full production cost. “Numerous subsidies, including financial and in-kind (for example, the common use of churches or community facilities for nonprofit centers), masks true production costs …”

Factors affecting the cost of child care include:

* location;
* type of setting and program;
* age of the children (infants and toddlers generally cost more);
* the amount of funding a center is able to procure through various sources such as fundraising efforts and government sponsored programs; and
* the use of voluntary services.

The True Cost of Child Care

A U.S. analysis conducted by Barbara Willer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (N.A.E.Y.C.), of what quality child care would cost if caregiver salaries were increased range from $6,364 to $8,345 for center-based care. That is substantially different to the $3,173 the average family currently pays.

If there is a positive note to be made of fee increases to parents, it is that despite the low wages, caregivers are dedicated to the children they serve. Most believe they can make a difference, that they can greatly enhance the quality of a child’s life in daycare. One would be hard-pressed to put a price tag on that.For most daycare centers, September is a transition month. Older children head off to attend grade school leaving openings for new children. It is an opportune time to increase rates – new kids, new parents, new rates. But for those parents currently using the center, a rate increase may not seem fair or just. It is an unfortunate fact that daycare is expensive, costing the average family approximately 20% of their yearly income. Not an easy pill to swallow.

That cost is low, however, compared to the paucity of wages child care providers earn. It is these low wages plus a lack of benefits that, unbeknownst to parents, actually helps to subsidize their child care fees. According to the 1989 National Child Care Staffing Study, conducted by the Child Care Employee Project and Caring For A Living, The National Study on Wages and Working Conditions in Canadian Child Care, child care ranks among the 10 lowest paid jobs. Average salaries are only one-half the national median.

That translates into an hourly wage for child care teaching staff of only $5.35 per hour or $9,363 per year in the U.S., and $9.07 per hour in Canada, a fact that makes it difficult for many to remain in the profession, says the Child Care Action Campaign in their Information Guide 27, Wages and Benefits in Child Care. The turnover rate for daycare workers ranks as one of the highest.

The High Cost of Staff Turnover

“High turnover erodes the quality of care”, notes the C.C.A.C. “Children need continuity in order to form trusting and loving bonds with their teachers and caregivers. But constant turnover makes that almost impossible.”

Indeed, it is common knowledge within the child care profession that high staff turnover has been associated with poor developmental outcomes for children. In their statement, Why Child Care Matters, Preparing Young Children for a More Productive America, the Committee for Economic Development (C.E.D.), says that even with the increased cost of “providing care of a constant quality … providers are hesitant to raise fees beyond what they believe parents are willing or able to pay.” In essence, keeping labor costs low is the only way providers feel they can keep fees down.

Are Current Parent Fees Enough?

Do current parents’ fees cover the true cost of child care? Not really. In fact, C.E.D.’s statement points out that what parents pay covers only a fraction of child care’s full production cost. “Numerous subsidies, including financial and in-kind (for example, the common use of churches or community facilities for nonprofit centers), masks true production costs …”

Factors affecting the cost of child care include:

* location;
* type of setting and program;
* age of the children (infants and toddlers generally cost more);
* the amount of funding a center is able to procure through various sources such as fundraising efforts and government sponsored programs; and
* the use of voluntary services.

The True Cost of Child Care

A U.S. analysis conducted by Barbara Willer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (N.A.E.Y.C.), of what quality child care would cost if caregiver salaries were increased range from $6,364 to $8,345 for center-based care. That is substantially different to the $3,173 the average family currently pays.

If there is a positive note to be made of fee increases to parents, it is that despite the low wages, caregivers are dedicated to the children they serve. Most believe they can make a difference, that they can greatly enhance the quality of a child’s life in daycare. One would be hard-pressed to put a price tag on that.

As summer vacation winds down, parents gear up to get their children back into the learning mode. After two months off, many worry that their children have forgotten basic facts and have let their reading, writing and arithmetic skills slide. They also wonder if their children are equipped to tackle the academic challenges of the next school year. Some parents would like to believe that buying school supplies and new clothes will make everything run smoothly — but this is rarely the case. Dr. Andrea Pastorok, an educational specialist with the Kumon Math & Reading Centers, suggests the following tips for a successful route back-to-school:

Focus on the Positives

* Talk to your children about what they achieved during vacation. The summer gives a child the opportunity to excel in athletics, explore the arts and form relationships with friends and family. Be sure to point out the skills that helped your child succeed and explain how these skills can be applied to school.
* Reassure your child that you believe in his or her ability to learn. Don’t put extra pressure on your child or make unrealistic demands, which can hinder the child’s motivation and potential.
* Play down your child’s fears about the coming year and prepare for any potential problems that may arise.

Create an Educational Environment at Home

* Set up a quiet, clean, smoke-free and well-ventilated area for your child to study with minimal traffic. Ideally, the area should be closed off to siblings, pets, and free of stereos, TV, radio, telephone, video games and other enticing distractions. Children should have a neatly organized area with proper seating and a solid flat surface on which to write, paint, draw or type
* Provide your child with ample materials for school work, including pens, paper, rulers, scissors, erasers, colored pencils or markers. The study area should also contain an age-appropriate dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedias, and children should be given easy access to newspapers, magazines, journals, books and classic literature to support their studies.
* Develop a consistent homework routine early in the school year to help your child keep up and learn effectively beyond the school day. Homework is often the first challenge your child encounters. Set aside a common “study time” period at home for studying, reading and quiet activities, and do your utmost to avoid and curtail arguments during that time
* Schedule time to help your children by answering their questions, explaining concepts, extending lessons and proofreading papers, reports and projects. For younger children, start a routine of checking what is in their bags to help keep their materials neat and organized.

Form a Partnership and Develop a Plan

* Make time to get acquainted with your child’s teachers and relay to your child any academic goals you discuss with the teacher. These partnerships will help ensure that the student, teacher and parent are all striving toward a common goal and will form a basis for resolving academic challenges that may arise during the school year.
* Think ahead and plan for possible challenges. If your child struggles with a subject, secure additional help at the beginning before a problem becomes overwhelming. Some parents choose to spend time working one-on-one with their child, while others may hire an individual tutor or enroll their child in one of the many after-school educational programs, such as Kumon Math & Reading Centers.

Balance Your Child’s Lifestyle

* Avoid overbooking your child in sports, dance, skating, karate, music, second language training and other organized activities. One leisure and one educational activity a season may be sufficient.
* Be there for your child by attending plays, field trips, school events, teacher meetings and homework sessions.
* Give your child up to two hours a day of “quality time” to engage in learning, reading or even playing together.
* Let your child play, be a ‘kid’ and develop creativity independently.
* Try not to make your child fulfill “your” dreams by forcing them to be the ‘gifted,’ ‘artistic,’ ‘athletic’ or ‘beautiful’ children.

About Kumon Math and Reading Centers

Located in 45 countries and with more than three million students, Kumon Math and Reading Centers is the largest after-school supplemental education program in the world. For more than 40 years, Kumon has helped students strengthen math and reading skills, increase confidence and develop study skills that last a lifetime. Kumon’s individualized, year-round programs are designed for students of all ages and skill levels. In the U.S. there are more than 1,000 centers with more than 100,000 students. For more information about Kumon, parents can call 1-800-ABC-MATH or visit http://www.kumon.com

* Daycare plays a major role in your child’s emotional, intellectual, and physical growth. Poor care can stunt your child’s ability to do well in school.
* Low standards of hygiene and safety in a poor child care setting can lead to injury and illness in children.
* Many child care settings are unregulated. Even where regulations exist, they may not be enforced enough to ensure quality.
* Inadequate care causes parental stress. As a result work performance suffers.
* Poor arrangements often fall apart, resulting in absenteeism or tardiness at work, irritating some employers.

Quality Child Care

Quality daycare promotes a child’s full development through:

* a happy and safe environment;
* opportunities for active and learning play;
* nutritious food.

Quality daycare helps children develop:

* confidence;
* creativity;
* coordination;
* problem solving skills;
* and healthy relationships with others.

Most of all, quality daycare has caregivers who relate well to children and care about their well-being.

Locating the ‘right’ child care setting takes time, effort and careful planning on the part of the parent.

Welcome to the last instalment of our “Getting to know you…” series. So far we’ve looked at resource and referral agencies, child care agencies and organizations and daycare licensing offices and child care agencies. Our focus this issue is Family Resource Centres & Toy Libraries.

FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRES & TOY LIBRARIES

Family resource centres offer parents a wide range of programs specifically designed to meet the needs of the community they serve. Often found in libraries, churches, hospitals, community centres, local colleges or universities, and/or military bases, they provide:

* Parenting courses
* Drop-in programs, particularly useful for home daycare providers and parents who work part-time, as a place to meet other parents and providers with whom they can talk about the ins and outs of parenthood without feeling guilty or intimidated
* Guest speakers
* Pamphlets
* Bulletin boards
* And an extensive resource library containing a slew of parenting and children’s books.

Toy Libraries

But it is the toy library that is valuable to parents and caregivers. “A toy library can be one of the earliest group situations available to parents and caregivers of young children.” notes the Canadian Association of Toy Libraries and Parent Resource Centres (TLRC Canada), in their book, TOY LIBRARIES: How To Start and Maintain a Toy Library in Your Community.

“Toys are a powerful tool for influencing children and informing adults…. Toys provide a means of helping young children to acquire skills, while educating adults about developmental. aspects of play and quality of toys.”

As the word ‘library’ implies, family resource centre members can borrow toys for up to a month at a time in some cases. “It provides access to an array of toys and play materials that might otherwise not be easily available.” says the TLRC. Big-ticket items like climbers, kitchen appliances such as play stoves, and refrigerators, and riding toys are often available on loan. Children learn so much from these toys as they interact with their peers, use there imagination, build vocabulary and strengthen their large muscles. Most toy libraries do charge a small membership fee, but it is well worth cost when you consider the price of purchasing these items outright.

Diverse Programs

Each family resource centre is unique in its programming offering on or any number of the following:

* Parenting courses developed to meet the needs of the individual communities and conducted by a variety of professionals, from public health nurses to nutritionists, and from social workers to crisis counsellors.
* Mobile units equipped with the same resources available at any centre often service rural areas.
* Drop-in programs and playgroups which may be as structured as workshops or seminars, or as simple coffee clacks where the exchange of information or sharing of ideas is less formal.
* Some centres offer a wide range of child care resource and referral services in addition to their toy and resource libraries, while others take their services out to the public, conducting lunch hour seminars for private and government businesses.
* Still others are open Saturdays or run after-hour workshops to accommodate working parents.
* Then there are those centres that produce their own television workshops, workshop materials, booklets or brochures according to community needs. And of course, the list goes on.

Like any child care program, family resource programs depend heavily on funding. Membership fees make up a small percentage of the overall operating costs associated with staffing, equipping and programming. But that does not, however, take anything away from what services a small center provides in comparison to that of a larger center.

In the words of Jane Hewes, a Director of TLRC Canada, “What makes parenting easier is a sense of community. Family resource programs create an opportunity for community, for people who share similar concerns and challenges to come together In naturally supportive ways.” Seeing and hearing other parents who share the same concerns as we do helps us to realize that ‘we are doing the best we can. But it alas, it helps us to learn a few new tricks that just might, when all is said and done, make our lives just a little bit easier.

To locate a family resource program or toy library in your area consult the yellow pages of your phone book under Child Care, Daycare, or Family Services, or contact your local Department of Human or Social Services.

You may also contact the following:

In Canada
TLRC Canada
205-120 Holland Ave.
Ottawa, Ontario K1Y OX6
(613) 728-3307

In the U.S.:
U.S. Toy Library Association
2530 Crawford Avenue
Suite 111
Evanston, IL 60201
(708)864-3330