Working parents rely on relatives or day care programs to provide quality care for their children. Although more than 62 percent of children in the United States attend some form of day care regularly, nearly half of those children are in the care of relatives. In 2005, almost 35 percent of children under five years of age attended a nonrelative day care program, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Children can reap benefits from quality day care programs.
Cognitive and Language Development
Children gain intellectual and positive communication skills in a quality child care environment. The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development funded the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development to examine the effect of child care experiences on children's cognitive, language, social and emotional development. The 15-year study found that higher-quality care contributed to improved cognitive and language skills. Quality child care programs provide storytime, positive communication, educational toys and activities, music time, and plenty of free playtime. Seek out caregivers who communicate positively with children; take time to help children express their feelings and thoughts; and recognize the educational benefits of safe, supervised play.
Social and Emotional Development
Quality day care programs promote social and emotional development by encouraging children to solve problems with words and to cooperate, share and take turns. Children learn to get along with others, to compromise and to express themselves effectively in a quality group setting. Caregivers should have training in recognizing stress in children and helping children express feelings in nonviolent ways. Although the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development found that the family environment is a larger predictor of social outcomes, children in quality care get along better with their peers and are more cooperative and slightly less aggressive than children in lower-quality care.
Physical Development
Children in child care benefit from exposure to a variety of materials and activities. Children learn through indoor and outdoor play and need at least an hour of free play in the morning and afternoon to promote healthy physical development. Quality programs provide climbing structures, space to run and move, and an assortment of balls and riding toys for outdoor play. Activities such as running, climbing, hopping and swinging that involve larger muscles help children release pent-up energy and develop important gross motor skills. Art materials such as chalk, paints and crayons help develop the fine motor muscles of the hands, wrists and fingers. Access to modeling clay, puzzles and manipulatives such as blocks, shape sorters and color sorters helps children develop fine motor and problem-solving skills.
