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:''For the United States Department of Agriculture's nutritional program with a similar name, see Child and Adult Care Food Program.''
'Childcare' (also written 'child care'^[1] and babycare) is the act of caring for and supervising minor children. (In Australia, daycare is referred to as "childcare"—cf.)

Contents

Childcare roles

The childcare debate

The challenge of childcare

Finding childcare providers online

Notes

See also

External links

Childcare roles

It is traditional in western society for children to be looked after by one or both of their parents, but the need for two-job households means that childcare is often delegated, at least part of the time, to childminders or crèches.
Most Western countries also have compulsory education, and during the time that the children are at school, the school will act ''in loco parentis''. This latin term means "in lieu of parent supervision".
Where parents are missing or dead, or unable or unfit to care for children, state agencies such as social services may take on the childcare role.
Wealthy people who prefer the services of professionals may delegate the parental role almost completely to nannies.
In the United States, childcare in a child care or day care setting is lead by teachers who often have the Child Development Associate credential.

The childcare debate

For many, the use of paid childcare is a matter of choice with arguments raging on both sides about whether children suffer or not.
There is no doubt that the first few years of a child's life are vitally important to form a basis for good education, morality, self-discipline and social integration. Consistency of approach, skills and qualifications of careers and ownership have been shown in many studies to improve the chances of a child reaching his or her full potential.
For example a recent study in Australia^[2] concluded centers run by corporate chains provided the lowest quality care when compared to community-based providers and independent private centres.

The challenge of childcare

In many families (and almost exclusively so in some communities), the childcare role is taken on by the extended family. One of the challenges for parents who choose to use other sources of childcare is finding and affording qualified providers.
Some jurisdictions require licensing or certification. Parents may also turn to independent rating services, or rely on recommendations and referrals. Some places develop voluntary quality networks, for example in Australia most childcare services are part of the national Quality Assurance system which ensures they provide good developmental programs.
Many organizations (in the developed world) campaign for free or subsidized childcare for all. Others campaign for tax breaks or allowances to allow parents a non-finance driven choice. Many of the free or subsidized childcare programs in the United States are also Child Development programs, or after school programs which hire certified teachers to teach the children while they are in their care.
Most countries have laws relating to childcare, which seek to prevent and punish child abuse. Such laws may add cost and complexity to childcare provision and may provide tools to help ensure quality childcare.

Finding childcare providers online

The Internet has become a tool for parents and childcare providers to connect.
Online classified ads allow parents to post job offers and childcare providers to post resumes in hopes of connecting with each other via cyberspace. Such postings allow anyone to post almost anything at any time with little monitoring. Services dedicated to matching parents and childcare providers have evolved from for-profit, nonprofit and governmental organizations. Such services generally offer greater screening, than general listing services.

Notes

1. Both ''childcare'' and ''child care'' are common, acceptable spelling of the word. ''Child care'' is the preferred spelling in accordance with AP Style.
2. 2006, Rush, The Australia Institute http://www.tai.org.au/documents/downloads/DP84.pdf

See also

★ Babysitter

★ Daycare

★ Care and feeding of an infant

★ Wood kindergarten

External links

★ A Place of our own, TV show site with resources for people who care for children.

★ Better Business Bureau Video Series or free online childcare resources at www.BBBvideo.com

★ Child Care Quality: An Overview for Parents - From the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

★ Child Care Safety,from UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences

★ Helping Your Child Adjust to Child Care,from UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences

★ Information and Child Care Courses From National Institute of Childcare and Education, UK. A range of useful information about UN Convention on Rights of the Child; why training is essential in the Child Care environment; and how to check the quality of the childcare your child receives.

★ Quality Child Care From University of Florida/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Factors in choosing quality child care.

★ Child care checklist from Seattle Children's Hospital.