Human Behavior and the Enviroment Unit 3 Seminar - Research Paper Example

Topic: Human behavior and the environment (daycare) Question: Day care is a reality for many infants starting as early as six weeks and continuing as part of their developmental process for a portion of their lifespan. What are some of the benefits and disadvantages of day care for both the infant and the parents? What are some of the things that parents should look for in a quality day care setting for infants? How do the concepts of attachment theories fit in? How can day care settings for infants work to fulfill the need for stimulation as discussed in the text?

Daycare is a facility or an organization is providing care and supervision for children and disabled adults during daytime (Merriam Dictionary, 2012) while the head of the family reports to work. Ideally, day care provides training, supervision, recreation and medical support for the elderly with their qualified staff. But will this service institution provide quality care or not? This essay aims to explicate the advantages and disadvantages of availing daycare service and the On the disadvantage side, experts on maternal care contend that children should not be left foster homes because some care provider, lacking standards, might subject the child to abuse or neglect.

This is at the presumption that not all care providers have the patience and prudence to child’s playful and impudence, especially that there are a number of them left for care. With possible mismatch of the ratio of children and care providers, some children might suffer isolation and loneliness. Reality also bespeaks that most daycare workers are underpaid and such situation demotivate them to provide quality care, hence, the child may feel friendless and abandoned (Fiene, 2002). Such have psychological impact to young minds as they may feel neglected.

Parents will also miss the opportunity in monitoring the child’s growth and development, thus create emotional gaps (Fiene, 2002). Sometimes, a child may get sick and have communicable diseases, like measles, which is contagious to others. On the other hand, daycares are regulated by government authorities and thus, workers must behave in accordance to quality standards. The children will enjoy opportunities to communicate with other children. This socialization process will loosen them a bit from strict parental disciplining and nurture in them the values of cooperation, interaction, and some experiential learning process.

It’s also noted that most daycare centers offer structured learning mechanism to help children grow with others. Fienne (2002) said that secure and quality daycare center is possible to those which possess “child abuse reporting and clearances, proper immunizations, staff child ratio and group size, director and teacher qualifications, staff training, supervision/discipline, fire drills, administration of medication, emergency plan/contact, outdoor playground safety, inaccessibility of toxic substances, and hand washing/diapering (p. 1).” Child care, at home or in daycare, has strong impacts to a child and his behavior.

Psychologists contend that less parental attention given to a child contributes to behavioral problems (Everstadt, 2005). Parents know that young children deserve emotional care direct from them. Hence, parents must decide wisely what is best for the child or must choose the right facility that can provide licensed high-quality care (Fiene, 2002) so as not to compromise their child’s cognitive and emotional development (Everstadt, 2005).  References:Merriam Dictionary (2012).

Daycare definition. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/day%20care Accessed: May 6, 2012.Everstadt, M. (2005). Home-Alone America: The Hidden Toll of Day Care, Behavioral Drugs, and Other Parent Substitutes. East Rutherford, NJ: Penguin Group, 2005.Fiene, R. (2002). 13 Indicators of Quality Child Care: Research Update. United States Department of Health and Human Services, United States.