Who Is Really Watching Your Child?

Author: An G

2008-09-30 Word Count: 563 Category: Parental Care

Childcare Workforce

Although I believe all child care workers should be referred to as teachers, I will refer to the following terms solely to identify different types of child care workers currently in this occupation.

• Child Care Worker/Provider - This is a general term used to cover the entire group of individuals that choose to work in this field. It includes babysitters, nannies, teachers, support staff, etc.

• Assistant Teacher - This is someone that has accepted the responsibility of educating young children in a child care or preschool setting, but is still in the process of attaining a formal degree or license. Assistant teachers acknowledge that child care is educational and is more than just keeping children healthy and safe.

• Lead Teacher/Teacher - This is a professional who has obtained the education necessary to nurture early childhood growth and development. These are the people that are committed to making child care and early education a positive worthwhile experience.

• Child Care Director - This is the person who is considered the “manager” of a child care center or home. This person, in most states, must meet minimum qualifications of education and/or experience in order to hold this position.

• Child Care Owner/Operator - This is the person or group who started the child care center or home. This person is not necessarily required to have any qualifications other than financial, unless the owner/operator is also the director. The owner/operator could be either public or private.

Parents, are you looking for quality daycare or childcare? Are you looking for someone who’s more than a babysitter? Wondering what your states standards and regulations are? Want your children to get a good early childhood education from a teacher who cares and is qualified? Have you checked out your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R) for quality childcare?

I’ve also written a book because of my experiences in teaching and, most importantly, my experiences teaching in child care. I’ve always been one to demand excellence in everything I do and from everyone I encounter. The fact that child care is less than excellent keeps me searching for a way to improve the standards that aren’t meeting my, and hopefully your expectations.

I am just one of many professionals who have worked over the years to achieve excellence in child care. I have always been one to make sure I have the facts before making assumptions or conclusions about any topic. With that mind, the book I've written is a compilation of the research I have studied, along with my personal experiences that I have used to draw conclusions about the state of child care in the United States. Although I may refer to other countries, it is merely to compare and contrast what I feel is a noteworthy fact about what other countries are doing to support the future of their country.

I always thought that if I’m a good teacher and a good role model, then others will follow suit and step up to the challenge of creating quality child care, and that it would be enough. I’ve always hoped that there are more people out there that have the same standards I do and are creating the same quality than not, but the more I teach, the more I find this isn’t the case.

Angie