Child Care Trends to Watch

Child Care Trends to Watch

As a professional field, daycare/childcare is still in its infancy. Rapid changes are occuring in the way we care for and educate young children. Here are some of the current trends.

The need for programs that serve young children and their families will continue to grow.
Sixty-five percent of mothers with children under the age of six are in the workforce.The need for daycare providers and child-care workers is projected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2008. And the need for infant/toddler care is on the steepest rise.

The cost of care will continue to grow.
In 48 states the cost of child care for a four-year-old in an urban child care center is more than the cost of public college tuition.

More childcare programs and daycare providers will strive to meet to higher standards of quality.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children administers a national, voluntary, professionally sponsored accreditation system. For a program to be accreditated they must meet standards that are often higher than those mandated by state licensing or local regulations. The main focus is on Developmentally Appropriate Practice. As of Fall 2002, more than 8,100 NAEYC-accredited programs are serving approximately three-quarters of a million young children and their families.Family daycare providers can also pursue accreditation from the National Association for Family Child Care.

States will sponsor iniatives to increase provider's compensation and/or professional growth opportunities.
There are many scholarship and grant programs available. One of the largest in many states is T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project-This iniative provides educational scholarship opportunities for people working in regulated child care centers and homes. Other states are planning on implementing this program.

More Companies will offer on-site childcare for their employees.
Companies are showing dramatic increase in providing on-site childcare from just over 100 firms in 1978 to 4,177 in 1989 to now over 8,000. This trend is continuing as more businesses discovering employer-assisted child care is an effective way to attract and retain quality workers. Eighty-five percent of employers report that providing child care services improved employee recruitment and almost two-thirds of employers found that providing child care services reduced turnover.