Daycare Statistics

Give me the numbers: Daycare statistics.

According to recent daycare statistics about 70% of parents will use childcare facilities of some kind. This is because more mothers work outside the home than ever before and they want to ensure reliable care for their children. Not only are daycare centers becoming more and more popular with young working mothers, but parents are also becoming more demanding.

Daycare statistics from the Children's Defense Fund state that about thirty percent of children under the age of five, whose mothers work, attend daycare. This demand is likely to increase as the cost of living rises and more and more parents work longer hours outside the home. The demand for good quality daycare is set to increase in the coming decade.

This means that a daycare center is no longer a baby sitting service but far more focused on early childhood development. The modern daycare center teaches children and helps them to develop the skills they need as they get older. According to daycare statistics parents have become more demanding the standard of the average daycare center has risen dramatically over the past decade.

Younger children (under the age of one) will careful attention based on his health, need for nurturing and adult influences. Older children need to develop play and learning styles as well as social skills and curiosity. He or she will also need more individual attention. According to daycare statistics by age three or four the child should have exposure to other children his age. It is recommended that they are placed in the kind of structured setting provided by a daycare center.

When you choose a daycare center for your child you need to be vigilant. According to daycare statistics from the INA around 5% of the nannies who apply for positions have a criminal record. You should be especially cautious when placing your child in unregulated in-home care. Of course there are also excellent in-home care centers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that one adult should have the primary responsibility for no more than one baby under 12 months of age. This is so in ay kind of childcare setting. According to daycare statistics, children this young need consistency in caregiving with an adult who is able to recognize their unique signs of hunger, distress, and need for play or comfort. The AAP suggests a child to staff ratio of 3:1 for infants.

According to daycare statistics from the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) five signs of a great preschool are:

* "Children spend plenty of time playing and working with materials or other children. * Children can access various activities at all times during the day. * Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. * The classroom is adorned original artwork and projects. According to daycare statistics this makes for a more success-inducing environment. * Children are taught numbers and the alphabet relative to their life experiences.

So be sure to check out our pages about Daycare Providers, Daycare Business, Starting A Home Daycare, In Home Daycares, and Starting A Daycare Center elsewhere on this site.