Parents Need Flexible and Affordable Child Care [RWJF.org]

I remember how it felt when I returned to work after the birth of my first son. Trying to figure out child care was confusing, overwhelming, and downright stressful. Of course I wanted the very best care for my baby, but I didn’t know what “high quality” really looked like. Our first arrangement was with a nearby woman who cared for a few other children in her home. Pretty quickly, I decided it wasn’t the right fit. I cobbled together a mix of family and part-time care while searching for a new solution. I am so grateful I had friends, family, and a supportive work environment to pull this off. I then tried in-home care, hiring a string of visiting nannies, none of which worked out. One of them quit with no notice, leaving me in a very difficult position at work.

Then I found what seemed like a great center-based program, and was prepared to sign up. But as I left the building after my initial visit, I bumped into a friend who had a bad experience there and advised looking elsewhere. What if she was right? I couldn’t take the chance, so I kept searching, relying on the generosity of family in the meantime.

Eventually I found a center that worked out. I felt my baby was nurtured and well-cared for, but the costs were enormous, and frankly, to this day I am still not sure if it was truly “high quality.”

A poll released yesterday by NPR, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health finds that parents and caregivers, like me, recognize the value of high quality child care and early education experiences.

Strong majorities say child care positively affects their children’s overall well-being, social development, and physical health. The benefits extend to parents and caregivers, too. They report better job prospects and improved relationships with spouses and partners as a result of child care. Perhaps most important, more than three-quarters of respondents say child care strengthens the relationship between parents and children.

Academic research agrees. Study after study has found that quality child care and early education increases academic achievement and graduation rates, reduces achievement gaps, and decreases risk for unemployment, drug use, and incarceration. Benefits extend throughout the community, with stronger families, improved economic development and more livable neighborhoods.

Of course, the news isn’t all good.