SO WHO NEEDS DAYCARE? by
Mary M. from Womankind-Sept
1973
(Editors Note: Daycare was an important issue for the CWLU as this
first person account explains.)
Working
full-time, it is very difficult to provide adequate care for my children,
aged 3 and 5, especially for my five-year-old, who is in kindergarten
for half a day.
Both my
children have been in daycare centers and I am pleased with their
experiences. As a teacher in a daycare center and a visitor of several
centers around the city during the past months, I know these are
some of the happiest places I've been, with children and staff sharing
and learning from each other.
In this
article, I want to discuss my experiences with childcare and look
at how society is dealing with the need for it.
The position
of women in our society has much to do with the low priority given
to childcare needs, for we are told that a woman’s first responsibility
is to stay home and raise the children.
However,
when a political or economic situation demands it, such as during
World War II when society needed women to work, we are told to get
a job, and that society will provide childcare.
Today,
the economic reality of many women's lives is that we must work at
a paying job as well as raising our children. We are put in a double
bind - we are told that our place is in the home taking care of the
children, and yet many of us must work.
The lack
of adequate childcare forces us to make any kind of arrangement we
can, regardless of the quality. It also makes us feel guilty about
working, even though we must. If we are visible and vocal in our
demands for childcare, we are seen as failures because we are not
supposed to need childcare in the first place.
We must
ignore what society says about childcare and begin to define our
needs in terms of our own and our children's best interests.
Politicians
continue to write off the need for childcare by claiming it is primarily
needed by those on welfare and by minority groups. It is true that
the majority of people who use existing subsidized daycare facilities
earn low incomes and would be forced on welfare without it. But many
more people also want and need day-care. All of us must demand that
our tax dollars go for the care of our children.
When Nixon
took office, he talked about his commitment to the needs of children.
As usual, his actions have been different than his words. He vetoed
the Comprehensive Child Development Act of 1971 that would have set
up childcare facilities offering education, nutrition and health
programs for two and one-half year-old to school age children, the
services would have been available on a sliding scale, depending
on the income of the family.
Nixon
has stopped funding for some daycare centers in the federal budget
for 1974, and has changed eligibility standards to make it virtually
impossible for working families with an income between $6,000 and
$8,000 a year to afford daycare.
In Chicago,
according to the 1970 census, there are 112,940 children under six
years of age whose mothers work. However, there are only 26,000 children
in licensed daycare centers and daycare homes, and there are no more
spaces available.
Working
mothers must make their own provisions, however inadequate, for their
children. When the inadequacy of some arrangements becomes well-known
- for example, the fire several months ago in an apartment where
the children were left alone - the working mother is quickly blamed
for being irresponsible local and national governments are really
to blame, for they refuse to deal with our childcare needs.
CHICAGO LACKS COMMITMENT TO DAYCARE
Chicago
does not give one penny for childcare, but it certainly harasses
daycare centers. In the spring of 1972, when licenses were up for
renewal, the city decided that daycare centers must have their own
electrical units, units which can cost thousands of dollars. When
the Daycare Crisis Council of the Chicago Area protested, the city
agreed to waive the requirement for 1972. This April, the city sent
out a notice that the units must be installed. Though most centers
cannot afford it, their feeling is that they will continue to operate
because they are committed to serve the parents and children.
THE FUTURE
Given
the lack of federal funds and the scarcity of daycare facilities,
it is likely that an increased number of private centers will open.
However, from my experience, parents can have no control over what
happens in a private center. Since we are paying for the childcare,
we should have a right to have control over the quality of the care.
But quality care costs a lot of money and we know that quality care
and high profits are incompatible. It is advisable to spend time
at a center with your child before deciding whether to use a private
center. If you observe any practices you think are not in the best
interests of the children, report it to the director and other parents.
DAYCARE OPTIONS
Though
I am not guaranteeing success, here is a list of some of the places
you might try if you are looking for daycare. If you can make informal
arrangements to meet your needs, you will not have to deal with the
limited supply of daycare available.
CHILDREN UNDER THREE :LICENSED DAYCARE HOME
The Department
of Children and Family Services (341-8400) licenses daycare homes
and has a complete listing of licensed homes in Chicago and the suburbs.
Licensed daycare homes are private homes which are licensed by the
state as meeting certain standards and in which children are taken
care of for pay. It would be a good idea for you to visit the daycare
home and talk with the daycare mother before placing your child.
Since the daycare home has built-in small groups and consistently
present adults factors which foster the positive development of young
children, it could fully meet the needs of a child over or under
three.
A COOPERATIVE DAY CARE CENTER, OR START YOUR OWN CENTER
A cooperative
daycare center is one that is planned and controlled by parents.
It typically serves no more than 10 to 15 children in a program,
and is staffed by the parents on a rotating basis. It does not preclude
having a paid staff person who may or may not be a parent. My experience
is that it proves to be successful at meeting the needs of adults
and children using the center.
Starting
your own center is not as awesome as it sounds, it is possible to
create a good one on a small budget, but the size of the budget depends
on whether or not you will hire staff and pay rent. One of the advantages
of this kind of program is that the hours and ages of children can
be as flexible as the needs of the people using it require. It is
advisable to first assess the needs of your group and then decide
what needs the center can realistically meet. You can use a parent's,
home, apartment or basement, but if possible, it is best to have
a separate space.
As far
as staffing, each person should work a substantial period of time
in a row, such as a morning or an afternoon rather than a couple
of hours, It is good to have one person who can work full time responsible
for program planning, and to provide continuity and reassurance for
the children as other adults come and go.
It would
be ideal if this person had a practical and theoretical background
in early child development, but if he/she does not, consultations
with others who have experience will help, Forming a study group
to discuss what is happening can also help the program come up with
creative suggestions and solve its problems.
The number
of children has to be limited to eight if you are interested in obtaining
a license, which is issued by. The Department of Children and Family
Services. A license would involve a visit by a social worker and
inspections by the city’s building, health, and fire departments.
Jobs that
need to be done to keep the center running are clean-up, keeping
books and paying bills, providing transportation to and from the
center, providing food for the children, ordering supplies and equipment,
and scheduling staff. Parents who cannot staff the center because
of other commitments could take on these tasks.
FUNDED DAYCARE CENTERS
Though
there are only a limited number, funded daycare centers serve children
aged three to five. They are either free charge a minimal fee, or
charge on a sliding scale depending on the family’s income. Some
are excellent, depending on the quality of the director and staff,
and most encourage parent involvement and try to meet the needs of
the community they serve. For information on where these are located,
call the Chicago Area Daycare Crisis Council .
A book called Daycare by E. Belle Evans, Beth Shub, and
Marlene Weinstein (published by Beacon Press and selling for $2.95)
offers information on what might constitute a quality daycare program
in our society.
