Building a Community Daycare Center - Research Proposal Example

Proposal for building a community daycare center PURDUE CALUMET Thomas L. Keon, Chancellor DATE: July 09, 2014 RE: A proposal for building a community daycare center PURPOSE I propose a solution to what is a major problem that is continuously growing at the Purdue Calumet: lack of daycare services for children whose parents are students at the university, lack of proper training for students whose courses require childcare education and students who need part time jobs to make extra cash. I recommend that you approve the building of a community daycare center, purchase the required furniture and hire people to run the place and take care of the children, within the next one to two years. This is consistent with the community goals for providing a safe environment for all the children in the neighborhood. Moreover, it will promote the university’s image as a community-oriented institution that seeks to improve the lives of everyone, not only its students. THE PROBLEM Childcare is very expensive. Twenty nine percent of parents interviewed reported that the childcare costs are too high and continue to augment by the day. Children are the sole responsibility of their parents until they join school. Reports show that in the U.S, an infant’s parent is expected to pay approximately anywhere from $4,000 to $14,000 per year for full time center based care. This is too much for most parents. While the costs and the childcare quality are important, finding the right type of care at the right time is quite a task to families who are searching for care. Fifteen percent of the parents interviewed cited lack of childcare being a big problem (Moe & Shandy, 2010). Currently, students who have children have to leave them at home with their families or hire people to take care of the kids. This is financially straining for the students and their families who have to help. The circumstances force the students to take extra jobs to be able to afford childcare. Moreover, these students skip several classes to take care of their babies when they are unwell. Some students become overwhelmed and opt to drop out of school to take care of their babies full time or to find full time jobs. Very many students need part time jobs. Some need the jobs to raise part of own tuition fee, others need the jobs for the pocket money and others need to be involved in community service to build their resume or to participate in community service. Moreover, some students have childcare courses with no place to apply their theoretical knowledge acquired in class. Appropriate childcare is a being concern and challenge to many parents in the neighborhood. Some parents have to commute across town daily to find proper childcare for their children. 44 percent of the women interviewed reported that their biggest problem was finding an appropriate daycare (Moe & Shandy, 2010). Other parents live their kids with their grandmothers or old neighbors. These women are old and may not be able to give the children the attention they require. Some of these old women are struggling, as their only source of income is the Social Security payments. Since they were once in that position, without childcare, they opt to become community caregivers. Both the children and these elderly caregivers are in danger. These children deserve a safe and appropriate childcare with love and attention. Studies show that most women have to leave employment after giving birth to take care of their babies because they cannot afford childcare services (Drago, 2009). Research shows that some caregivers are old, ill and lack childcare knowledge. They think that their work is to stop or prevent children from crying. Several childcare centers have no regular and suitable rooms required for napping and changing diapers. They also do not have the necessary toys and other tools. In winter, due to lack of heating, few children attend the day care centers. Parents take their children to such centers probably due to desperation. It is not surprising that many parents are unwilling to send their children to these centers. The federal government considers it a trivial matter. Children are prone to infections and other diseases that may pass from other children. In a childcare center, children are in constant contact and therefore chances of infection are very high. One child may infect all the other children. Influenza and enteric illnesses like diarrhea in infants using diapers are the most common diseases. It is not certain how these diseases are spread but hygiene must be the main reason. The slots in the childcare centers are limited due to the government’s low funding for childcares. Most parents end up not getting slots in the nearest childcare centers. This is very frustrating and is a big problem in society. Ultimately, the lack of proper community childcare and enough jobs for students, the university risks having many students continuing to drop out or changing schools. THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM Building a community childcare center, furnishing it and hiring the required caregivers will result in increased revenue, satisfied students and a happy community. A study conducted to find out the effectiveness of childcare did not predict the number of days missed by working parents but it showed that there were lesser forms of time loss. This is because parents do not waste time trying to find childcare. The employed parents were found to have lower stress, work-schedule flexibility and satisfaction with the childcare arrangements (Emlen, 2010). Moreover, another source of flexibility in addition to school, work and family is the non-parental caregiver who can meet the parent’s schedule. For many parents, the search for a professional caregiver, who is flexible, is critical. This childcare center will make life easier for the students, staff and parents from the neighborhood with children. This is because they will now be able to afford appropriate high quality childcare. Moreover, parents will not have to struggle finding the right type of care, as the childcare center will be very good. In addition, vacancies will be available for children whenever their parents require. The center will hire professional caregivers who know what childcare entails. Moreover, we will aim to provide all the books, toys and tools needed by children. Provision of different rooms will go a long way in promoting hygiene as the eating-place will be different from the diaper changing station. The center will be installed with heaters to keep the children warm during winter. Parents will not be bringing children because of desperation but because their children are safe and happy. When the quality of childcare is high, the child’s outcome will be better on several school preparations like the basic cognitive skills and their behavior in school. The cognitive skills include math and language. The behavioral skills involve attention skills, problem behaviors, sociability, and peer relations. These are very important issues when it comes to the children’s’ ability to benefit from the opportunities provided in school. New scientific research shows that early brain development has lifelong consequences. The early foundation skills built on cognitive capacities is also very important as they can improve a child’s chances in life. Most of the childcare centers available do not reach very high qualities of similar intensive programs. This is why our center will provide very high quality childcare services because children who go through high quality childcare exhibit better language, cognitive and social competencies when they are given standardized tests (Emlen, 2010). To avoid infections in the daycare center, the center will maintain high levels of hygiene and the children will be educated on the importance of cleanliness and washing their hands. This will reduce the risks of infection. Moreover, children with communicable diseases will be encouraged to stay at home until they are given a clean bill of health. This will prevent outbreaks and the parents will be comfortable leaving their kids in such an environment. The daycare center will aid in solving the problem of lack of slots in daycare centers. The slots will be many and the professionals will be quite a number to be able to provide good care to the children. Parents will not have to worry anymore, as they know that whenever they have need childcare, it is readily available. COSTS The building costs and purchasing the equipment required will be quite high but within eight months, the center will start making profits and within two years, the initial cost of investment will be recovered. However, parents will be charged affordable amounts to ensure that their children receive the best childcare possible. This is a form of investment for the university. While investing, you should also consider the additional resources required for quality programs, enhancing programs, increasing wages to motivate workers and promote retention by workers and any other additional funding for developing professionals. Investing in children is like investing in the health of the local economy and community. In this case, investing in childcare is like investing in the infrastructure of the future’s economy. I estimated the costs for building the healthcare using data obtained from a community developer concerned with real estate development. It is a Community Self-Help Center. Some costs will be incurred only once. These are some of the things required. We can discuss the costs with the particular experts to find out the exact amounts after we have decided on the size of the center. Plumbing (diaper-changing stations, new bathrooms etc) Electrical work (wiring, computer installations and lighting) Fire alarm and security alarm Removing tress and other landscapes for playground: Building septic tanks Architect/design fees Constructing the decks, outdoor stairs, the handicap ramp and fencing Building cost: The attorney’s and insurance fees The Architect and designer fees, surveyor’s fees and appraisals Improving the site (building sidewalks and gutters) Paying for inspection permits: Gas, water and electric line connection Sewer hooks Parking and a driveway Landscaping The table below shows costs required for purchasing the equipment and other administrative expenses. Approximating that the center will accommodate 80 children within the first eight months; Expense item Center costs depending on number of children to be accommodated Costs required for childcare Education supplies and equipment like books and toys. Others $4, 000 0 Costs required for marketing Website Banners and posters $500 $200 Furniture Cribs and mats Computers, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers Playground equipment Kitchen supplies Housekeeping supplies Office furniture $12000 $5000 $10, 000 $500 $3, 000 $2, 000 Administrative expenses Deposits for utilities Phones Licensing fees Insurance Accounting and legal fees Professional development Working capital for 8 months Working capital for 8 months $200 $200 $600 $4000 $600 $200 $30, 000 APPROXIMATE COSTS $70, 000 The costs are not fixed, as they will vary depending with the suppliers, time, the size of the center that we will agree upon and the number of children to be accommodated. CONCLUSION Authorizing the building of the day care center is feasible. Adoption of this proposal will help many parents to access affordable and high quality child-care. The parents will not be worried about the people they left their kids with. My fellow students who have children will not have to quit school or miss classes. Moreover, both the teaching and non-teaching staff with children will be more productive provided they know that their babies are in safe hands. In addition, this is a good project for the university’s publicity. It is a way of appreciating the community and giving back. The long-term goals involve making profits for the university. In case you have any question, I am ready to meet with you anytime to discuss this proposal. Kindly consider my proposal. Reference Top of Form Bottom of Form Center for Community Self-Help. (2014). Example: Child Care Center Start-up Costs. Web. 10, July 2014. Retrieved from https://www.self-help.org/custom/fi/self-help/fb/disclosure/Start-up-Costs-for-Child-Care-Center-Sample.pdf Drago, R. (2009). The parenting of infants: a time-use study. Monthly Labor Review, 132(10), 33-43.Top of Form Emlen, A. (2010). Solving the childcare and flexibility puzzle: How working parents make the best feasible choices and what that means for public policy. Boca Raton, Fla: Universal-Publishers. Moe, K. S., & Shandy, D. J. (2010). Glass ceilings and 100-hour couples: What the opt-out phenomenon can teach us about work and family. Athens: University of Georgia Press. Bottom of Form Read More