| "What did you get for Christmas?" This is one of | | | | childcare, due to the economy. This trend signals |
| the first questions that a child asks his friends | | | | difficult times for families. |
| when they return to school after the holidays. | | | | According to the National Association of Child Care |
| With this year's economy forcing parents to cut | | | | Resource & Parent Referral Agencies, day care |
| back, experts believe it is a good time to teach | | | | costs nationwide can run from $3,380 to $10,787 |
| children about some of life's challenges. | | | | a year for just one preschool-age child. |
| Children's psychologists agree that it is more | | | | Some other interesting statistics on the current |
| important to be together during the holidays than | | | | economy and its impact on children include: |
| to simply buy gifts because the love children feel | | | | Apx.11 million children under age 5 spend a portion |
| from the attention you give them will last longer | | | | of their day, every week, in the care of someone |
| than any present. And when we teach our | | | | other than Mom. |
| children the value of giving to others, it gives the | | | | -A child of a working mom spends about 36 |
| holidays new meaning. | | | | hours a week in childcare. |
| Many parents are also going to have to make | | | | With the current economic crisis, quality child care |
| some difficult decisions about the cost of childcare | | | | is even more important to the healthy |
| because they simply cannot afford it anymore. | | | | development of each child. For many low income |
| To qualify for childcare assistance through the | | | | families, child care is the only place that children |
| Department of Social Services, a person must be | | | | receive a nutritious meal and snack, given that |
| working. | | | | food is often one of the first places parents |
| Over 10 million Americans are out of work and | | | | sacrifice. |
| another 6.7 million Americans are working | | | | Parents must unders that when it comes to |
| part-time. More than 7 million Americans are | | | | childcare, each state has a star rating system. |
| working part-time. As parents lose employment, | | | | The more stars required, the higher educated |
| as their hours are cutback, they are taking their | | | | childcare employees must be in order to meet |
| children out of organized child care and making | | | | the standards. |
| due with whatever affordable situation they can | | | | One way to cut costs without sacrificing is to |
| find. One problem: families with no resources for | | | | seek lower cost, in-home childcare. And |
| childcare are turning to young family members to | | | | remember that once a child hits school age the |
| care of their younger siblings. | | | | working parent would regain that income. |
| Families rely on childcare when they are at work, | | | | Maybe the growing economic stress will demand |
| but it is also a great social outlet for children who | | | | that businesses find ways to be more family |
| look forward to it every day. But today, more | | | | friendly and find ways to work parents who have |
| and more families are being forced to drop out of | | | | young children. |