Ecology of child care
non-parental child care or daycare
relatives, friends; more common for children under 3
in home day care, more common children under 3
nannies, at the family's home; more common for children under 3
day care centers- more common for children 3-5
"
Regardless of the type, quality child care involves certain basics: a caregiver who provides warm, loving care and guidance for the child and works with the family to ensure that the child develops in the best way possible; a setting (home or center) that keeps the child safe, secure, and healthy; and developmentally appropriate activities that help the child develop emotionally, socially, mentally, and physically (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2005)." p170
Optimal Quality Care Components
specialized training in child development or early childhood training - tend to be more authoritative than authoritarian
care-giver to child ratios
The size of the overall group
Some causes of poor quality
high staff turnover
low wages, lack of benefits, adverse working conditions
different requirements for child-care facilities and teachers
Quality of Care and outcomes
strong correlation between the quality of care and solization
DAP= Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Acknowledging growth patterns and individual differences
views play as the child's primary indicator of development
accounts for learning styles, family structure/background and temperament
Macrosystem Influences
Political Ideology; ie social responibility
economic
Science and technology; ie imparting academics early
Research concerns; chronosystem influences
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Psychological Development
Bowlby supported nature care as well; any separation from the mother, physically or mentally is detrimental to development
Spitz supported nature care; prison moms vs foundlings
Skeels supported nurture; quality of care is more important than the relation of the person providing the care
Contemporary Studies; in the 1st year, infants become very attached to their primary care-giver (secure attachment); (insecure attachment) child may cry when the person leaves, until they return. ignore the person, continually accept, then reject the person
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