When I first heard about the idea of free universal childcare, I thought it was a bad idea. Not only as a private child care business owner but as a parent too. I have never liked or supported the idea of a "one size fits all" mantra for anything and preschool/child care is the same. I've heard many arguments in support and defense of the idea over the years. Some worth looking into and others down right silly but the one that always made the most sense to me was the idea that parents should always have the right to choose. Since families, children and situations all differ it's only fair to say that the solution for each is also unique and individual. I think a majority of why universal preschool hasn't become the norm is because parents want the right to choose. Having the right to choose what's right/wrong for us personally and collectively as a family unit is much of the backbone of this country IMHO and rightly so.
The other day I came across this article and am not sure what to think....
"In debates over publicly funded childcare, conservatives and liberals alike trumpet the importance of giving parents the ability to send their children to the preschool or day care of their choosing. It’s an ideal fueled by the conviction that when it comes to childcare, no one knows what young kids need better than their parents. And yet, study after study suggests that parents are, in fact, lousy consumers of childcare. They are poor judges of quality even when their kids have been in a program for months, much less on a 30-minute tour taken a few weeks postpartum. Add to this that low-income parents enrolling in subsidized care often must make quick decisions with limited information, and picking childcare—one of the most momentous decisions a new parent faces—begins to look a lot like pin the tail on the donkey. "
Read the rest of the article here:
https://newrepublic.com/maz/article/...care-consumers
The other day I came across this article and am not sure what to think....
"In debates over publicly funded childcare, conservatives and liberals alike trumpet the importance of giving parents the ability to send their children to the preschool or day care of their choosing. It’s an ideal fueled by the conviction that when it comes to childcare, no one knows what young kids need better than their parents. And yet, study after study suggests that parents are, in fact, lousy consumers of childcare. They are poor judges of quality even when their kids have been in a program for months, much less on a 30-minute tour taken a few weeks postpartum. Add to this that low-income parents enrolling in subsidized care often must make quick decisions with limited information, and picking childcare—one of the most momentous decisions a new parent faces—begins to look a lot like pin the tail on the donkey. "
Read the rest of the article here:
https://newrepublic.com/maz/article/...care-consumers
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