Child Care College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Care College - Essay Example In contemplating the kind of assistance parents should resort to for child care, it is essential that the requirement of a safe and happy environment that fun, educational and nurturing is met. Baby sitters are often among the top choice of parents in their decisions on which kind of help they would embark for their child. Though this is the case, it does not in any way conclusively suggest that it is the best practice. I would argue that child care from a licensed child care center is undeniably better than care from a baby sitter which is also fondly called as nanny. A child care center provides care for groups of children. They often provide entertainment and activities for all of the children to take part in. In child care centers, the space and equipment is designed strictly for the intended use of the facility (www.childcarehelp.org). Children tend to be grouped with others their own age and activities can be designed to meet the needs of each classroom of children. Most caregivers in a center are required to have education in child development or early childhood education, and all staffs are required to have annual in-service training in child development. ... In exchange for a bed, food and allowance they will look after the child or children while the parents go to work (www.babycenter.com). A live out nanny, on the other hand, will live in their own home and come to the house as and when arranged to look after the children. Either form of nanny would be considered an employee of the family (www.nannysource.com). The individual care offered to a child is the primary reason that many people select this service for their infant care needs. Parents are also able to have almost complete control over activities, feeding times and any other factor of the child's daily lives. Obviously in home care is the most expensive form of day care or any other care that is available but does offer a one on one service in exchange. There are a lot of disadvantages of babysitting though parents may think that it is the best care since there is a one to one interaction. Nanny care is unsupervised and our parents must do careful screening of any potential caregiver. The most glaring disadvantage is the expense, because, after all, our parents are paying someone's salary, and they are likely to be working a long day. Nanny care is the most expensive form of child care that I think our families could have, with most of us paying 18K - $40K per year for nannies (www.nannysource.com). Nannies are in high demand and there is a lot of competition in the marketplace for the qualified nanny. Lack of socialization may be an issue for an only child. Not all child care logistical problems are magically solved by nanny care. There may be issues on how to cover days when the nanny is ill or if there are weather emergencies which I