Holistic Approach to Child Caregiving l 13 million children under 6 have mothers in the workforce l 53% of mothers return to work in the first year of birth l By the age of 6, 84% of children have received supplemental care l To avoid risk, all areas of development of children should be considered l Good quality child care can reduce the magnitude of effects of problems

The Environment l Physical l Social and Emotional l Cultural l Economic

The Physical Environment Heredity (Genetics) a.k.a. Nature l Body Type l Temperament l Inherited Diseases and Traits

Home Environment a.k.a. Nurture l Should be healthy and protected from harm l Includes family, home, school, neighborhood, and community l May be at risk due to abuse of some type l Quality child care can reduce risk

The Social and Emotional Environment l Attachment is the goal l Consistent and sensitive caregivng l Quality child care = Primary caregiver

The Economic Environment l Influenced by parent’s work history, neighborhood, community, and nation l One in 5 children in the U.S. lives below the poverty level  40% of these children have parents that are unemployed  Consider this as new welfare reforms affect children  Impact of financial stress can affect emotions and behavior

l Lack of preventive care and access to resources = at risk l Caregivers can help children by providing good nutrition and preventive health and safety measures l Families can be helped by connecting them to resources and other community linkages

The Cultural Environment l Culture = Beliefs and practices of a given group l Values conflict among and between cultures l Newer immigrants and migrants less likely to assimilate l Cultural competence is the key  Caregivers should support family values as much as is possible  Awareness of diversity present in child care is important

Health Promotion, Protection, and Prevention l Knowledge of developmental aspects and issues helps to promote, protect, and prevent risk for children l Caregivers need to establish and maintain a healthy environment  Using a holistic approach  Being aware of organizations that help promote well-being and prevent harm

Risk and Risk Management of Children’s Well-Being l To prevent risk to children, risk management minimizes chance of danger for children in care l Caregivers need to use  Safety protection  Nutrition education  Health promotion

Providing High Quality Child Care Goal One  Maximizing health status of children Goal Two  Minimizing risks to health, safety, and well-being of children

Goal Three  Using education as a tool to promote health and reduce risk Goal Four  Recognizing importance of guidelines, standards, and laws as they apply to the well-being of children

See Tables 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3

 Reality Check: Child Care in America: The Reality l 73% of infants and toddlers are in nonparental care part of the time and the great majority of kids by the age of 6 years have been in child care  Child care has become a necessity for most families  The assumption might be that quality child care is the norm

 Several studies have shown that the majority of child care is not quality, and that most centers and family care homes do not meet children’s needs for health, safety, and secure attachments  There is no formal system to oversee family child care homes  There are no consistent federal regulations for center-based care

What is Quality Care? Caregivers l Have adequate training in child development, health, and safety l Provide sensitive, responsive care l Have skills to communicate with parents and promote nurturing l Are competent in diverse cultural and language backgrounds of children l Are adequately compensated

An environment that l Allows for good health and safety l Provides good working conditions for caregivers l Has adequate child to caregiver ratio l Has toys and equipment that are age and developmentally appropriate l Provides adequate nutrition and food safety if providing meals and snacks

Questions l How does the environment of your own community support the physical, socioemotional, cultural, and economic lives of the children in it? l How would you rate your community? l Are there any differences geographically within your area? l What might be done to make improvements?