Child Care from a Licensed Center - Essay Example

Child Care from a Licensed Center There are many children in the world and each one of them is raised differently and the education that they receive is also different. It is, therefore, that I support the thesis that child care from a licensed center is better than a baby sitter. When a child is cared for in a licensed child center, the center has to meet various requirements. They need to have a government license to operate. They are inspected by the Department of Health. They are inspected by the Department of Education. The personnel that care for the children have a police check-up for prior antecedents. They have to meet the minimum requirements of safe equipment and toys. They also have to meet the Fire Department´s standards. All of these institutions are looking after the children´s welfare. To obtain a license to operate the child center has to be located in a safe place. It needs to have clean facilities: kitchen, bathroom, play area, instructional area, equipment, and toys. The personnel involved should meet the minimum requirements to care for the children and the children have to have a balanced and nutritional diet. For the baby sitter there are no particular guidelines. She or he may be a family member, a neighbor, a friend, or someone who recommended the babysitter. The babysitter does not have to have a degree. The babysitter does not have to have a clean place or supply a nutritional diet. In many cases, if the payment is made to the baby sitter to include meals, she or he will buy what they think will be sufficient depending on their budget. In the case where the parents supply the meals in addition to the babysitter payments, it may usually a brown bag depending on the parent´s budget. I prefer to have my nephews and nieces to be cared by a licensed child care center because the probabilities of being safe are greater than if they are taken care of non-specialized personnel. The nutritional factor carries weight in their formative years and in their healthy development. There have been instances where safety is an issue, however, with the constant supervision of qualified personnel the odds are less. I have had the experience of having my nephews and nieces cared for at a licensed child care center. My sister knows the personnel involved with them. She is able to move around the premises at ease to see that what she saw the first day remains the same or has improved: physically and educationally. She has regularly scheduled meetings to be informed of her shildren´s progress or to be informed of behavior that needs to be taken care of. I have had the opportunity to occasionally accompany her to these scheduled meetings. There are also faculty and parents meeting where the parents are able to see their children´s projects and to see their children´s classmates´ projects. I agree with scholars that childhood education is important because it guides the child in his or her path in becoming a well versed citizen. It is in the formative years that the child needs to know how to behave, how to dress, how to eat, and how to interact with other children. In a setting where these elements are not taken into consideration the child´s formative years will not help him or her to become the “grownup” person he or she is supposed to be according to society. When I have the chance to see other children raised by responsible babysitters, I see that they do the best that they are able to do. It does not, however, have all of the elements mentioned previously such as in a licensed child care center. My nephews and nieces are curious as all children are. If they are not being watched they may hurt themselves and/or hurt others. When the children are at a licensed child care center, there are personnel to watch over them as one of their primary responsibilities. When they are with a babysitter, she or he may become involved in doing house chores, cooking, and/or taking care of other children. This means that if my nephews and nieces were in this type of setting they would not receive the necessary attention, safety and guidance, and education which is provided in a licensed child care center. If the government disbursed the necessary monetary allocations for free licensed child centers and the child centers were readily available for them, I am sure that the parents would go this route versus taking their children to babysitters. The children would receive a preschool education, eat nutritional food, and learn how to interact with other children in a positive manner. Children may also receive their education with the trained personnel using different theories: Cognitive Theory, Behavioral Theory, and Constructivism Theory. The Cognitive Theory explains the thought processes and mental activities that mediate a relationship between stimulus-response. It considers the previous learning, significant learning, and the person´s active role constructing his or her knowledge. The teacher´s role is important. The way in which the knowledge is presented, the organization, the comprehension, the feedback, and clear definition of objectives are important components. The Behavioral Theory is based on learning by association or connections between information, ideas, and experience. The learning is expressed in a behavior that is caused by a stimulus. The action is obtained if a reward is given when the behavior is what is expected. The reinforcement is based on the fact that each action that produces satisfaction should be repeated. The Constructivism Theory is based on the need to promote significant learning. It accepts individual interests, the influence in the social context, its educational history, and life history. The child is able to construct cultural significance. I prefer the constructivism theory because it considers the child´s level of development which is the autonomous possibility of “learning to learn”. The child interacts with knowledge in an individual manner, with the help of the teacher, and with the help of others. The child is guided to discover knowledge, respecting individuality and their contextual reality. The new knowledge is subordinate to the previous knowledge and the child will be able to grow up as a self guided person. This leads the children to explore their surroundings, be able to work independently, use a self-paced mode, be responsible for their actions, and respect individuality. I take pride in having my nephews and nieces being reared in the best way possible. Leaving them at a licensed child care center, gives me a relief and certainly to their parents, that they are being well taken care of, that they have the opportunity to socialize with their care takers, that they have the opportunity to socialize with other children, that they are in an ambiance where education is the main focus, and that they are safe. I do not intend to put down a babysitter. There are good babysitters and there are bad ones too. In a licensed child care center, it has been my experience, that this is a better environment for my nephews and nieces and that the odds if having poor care is less. To conclude, I would like to think that all responsible parents would want their children to be cared for in a licensed child care center because: they are in a safe environment; they are in a place where the fire hazards are prevented; they are in a clean environment; their nutritional eating habits are supervised and offered; they are able to socialize with other children; they learn rules; their behavior is monitored; and they are under the supervision of trained personnel. All children should have these opportunities. More government sponsored licensed child care centers should be readily available to all families. Having had the experience of my nephews and nieces attending a licensed child care center has provided me with information to be able to make a decision of having my children attend the same model of licensed child care center using the constructivism theory. I want the children to be able to explore venues, respect the individuality of others, and become independent learners. We want a better society. We should strive for our children to receive the best preschool education available to them. Education is not meant only for a few but for the society that we live in. Our children are our future. Let us take care of them in a responsible and positive manner. Let us support the licensed child care center. Read More