Child care facility operations and management

Child Care Facility

One of the most profound influences on preschool education has been the trend towards mothers joining the workforce. This has led to an increase in children enrolled in daycare, although mothers were not quite satisfied with the informal way in which this was handled. Concomitantly, an increase in the gap between the rich and the poor has made it clear that an upliftment program would be necessary in order to help children from poor communities to find quality education. Through programs such as "Head Start," this was made possible. As poverty historically increased, so did the need for women to join the workforce, and there was an increase in the need for child care facilities, where children would receive a formal, pre-school education.

Such trends increased the enrollment in kindergartens throughout the United States (Cotton & Conklin).

Another important social factor is urbanization. As children and their parents move from rural to urban areas, a mix of various cultures and economic statuses occur the like of which the United States has never seen. A mixture of cultures within preschool classes therefore occur. This could lead to conflict situations, which is not optimal for the classroom.

In a child care facility, it is therefore important to ensure that all children feel nurtured and safe while completing their education. Respect is necessary with regard to the variety of cultures in the country, as most likely represented in the facility.

Another dichotomy in early childhood education is the one between rich and poor. This phenomenon needs to be handled with the necessary sensitivity by educators. With the influx of large numbers of students from disadvantaged communities. The current trend in the United States is that there is an overrepresentation of children from disadvantaged communities who perform poorly or even drop out of the school system. The expansion program for early childhood education is meant to combat this trend.

In a child care facility, it is important to address the various social and political issues facing the group. In this, it is also important to take into account the various environments from which the children emerge. Some home lives my be turbulent, while others are peaceful. This, along with the dichotomies of race, income and education levels influences the attitudes and feelings that each child brings to the facility. Educators need to be sensitive to this.

It is recommended that a thorough investigation be made of the issues facing the various types of children entering the facility. Mothers who work, for example, may do so out of a desire for self-fulfillment, while others may do so out of necessity for earning extra income for the family. Concomitantly, children of single parents may have a different set of problem from those with both parents. These investigations can be done with the help of the parents involved.

From the investigation, profiles can be created of each student, containing information regarding background influences and concomitantly possible interactional problems. The education professional can then group students according to their specific needs in order to optimize the education process for all involved.

A child care facility should be aware of all social and political factors that could influence the individual children in their care. Children's concomitant needs should then be identified, and children with similar needs grouped together. When specific needs are met and problems mitigated, children can be integrated into larger or different groups in order to encourage a process of socialization.

Early childhood education can benefit all children if implemented in a way that is optimal to the needs of the child. Student profiles should then also be updated according to the development of each child, and regular parent conferences should be held in order to provide further insight into the situation of each child.