The Value of Child Care

Quality child care plays an important role in children's development and provides a valuable support to working families.

In today's society, the majority of parents must work outside the home to financially support their family, making child care a necessity for many Americans. Fortunately, there are many additional beneficial outcomes when parents choose to use child care.

Quality child care has a positive influence on children's development and school readiness by providing valuable educational and social experiences. Research consistently shows that children who attend quality early care are more likely to do well in school and less likely to drop out or need remedial education. Research also shows that the potential long-term benefits of quality care are many, and includes adults that are more skilled, better educated, have better employment opportunities and more stable families. 

Other benefits of child care include:

• Socialization - Children need socialization to learn how to share, problem-solve and work in a team, and as an added-bonus, socializing with peers also means your child can learn the skills those peers have acquired, such as potty-training or advanced speech.
• Friendships - As every adult knows, finding that one person that you really love playing with is an essential part of the human experience. By placing your children into a program where they will consistently see the same children, you're allowing them to form important bonds.
• Structure and routine - Children thrive on structure and routine, and a child care program provides them with just that. 
• Easier transition to school - By getting your children used to being dropped off and picked-up, you're less likely to have a child with separation anxiety when it's time for preschool or kindergarten.
• Early immune system building - Young children who attend child care are more likely to get sick, but they'll have better developed immune systems when they reach elementary school, which means fewer sniffles and sick days.
• Easy access to play and education - Children in child care have their time filled with fun, enriching activities like story time, games, crafts and physical exercise.
• Parent relationship-building - Dropping your children off at child care allows you to meet and mingle with other parents, possibly creating new opportunities for support, play dates and friendships.
• Break-time for parents - Time spent away from your children allows you to become refreshed and recharged, making you a better parent to a subsequently happier child.
• Reduced stress - When your child has safe, loving and stimulating child care that you can count on, you don't have to worry while you're at work. You know that your child is getting the kind of care children need to be healthy, happy and successful.
• Everyone benefits - Society, children, families, employers, communities and the nation as a whole benefits from high quality child care. Fostering a healthy, successful future workforce is essential to everyone's well-being.