Non Parental Childcare: Quality Matters
SOC: 312 Child, Family, & Society

Instructor: Keia Farr
June 18, 2012

There are three types of child care that parents use to have others watch their children while they are not available. These types are referred to as Non parental childcare. Non parental childcare is the care given to children by persons other than parents during the parts of the day that parents are absent. (Berns, pg. 156) The care of children today is more likely to be provided by someone other than the parent. One is a licensed Childcare facility, Family, Friends or Neighbors (FFN), or a Family Childcare Home Center. Making the decision to have outsiders care for your children is not an easy one, but it is one parents have to make in order to meet the needs of the family by working. In some situations both parents have to work to support the family, therefore non-parental care is a most. Non parental childcare plays a major role in the socialization of children. The effect on a child’s psychological, social and cognitive development is left in the hands of individuals who are picked to care for children.
Children between the ages of 6 weeks to 4 years old spend a great amount of time with caregivers other than their parents, usually in a childcare setting. (Some refer to it as Daycare) There were some studies about child care that indicated children who attend childcare centers they are more likely will do better when they start school, also childcare develops their social skills with others and this gives them an opportunity to play with other children. It’s very important to develop the child’s social skills so they can have knowledge of what is acceptable and what is not. We all know that the quality of licensed child care centers have evolved over the years. Child care centers are receiving accreditations by NAEYC and in some states, like North Carolina where I live, have assessments that rate a centers quality by issuing Stars based on the assessment scores. Parents looking for quality centers to place their children in can base their decision on the number of stars a center has or if they are accredited. Children who enroll in quality centers, where parents and teachers work together, teachers are educated and knowledgeable of child development, nurturing and caring, grow and develop emotionally and socially. Positive social outcomes in children are due to the environment in which they are socialized. Being that children spend more time in centers than with their parents, it is very important that child care centers provide the optimum social experiences for children. Most parents prefer to use In Home childcare; they tend to like the idea of a “home” setting with fewer children. Also, in home centers, just as child care centers are less expensive than hiring a nanny. In home centers can also participate in the Star rated assessment if they choose in North Carolina as well. This type of non-parental care is the closest to having your children cared for by their parents and id one parents tend to choose for younger children; ages 6 weeks to 3 years old.
FFN, Family, Friend or Neighbor care is also a type of non-parental care for children. Parents with low to moderate income choose this route because it is the least expensive of the three. Children left with family, friends or neighbors are left with people of low education in the area of child development, and however they tend to care for the children as if they are their own, which is appealing to some parents. In many situations, a relative, friend, baby sitter or even a nanny may come into the home to take care of a child (Berns, 2010). This setting is commonly mixed between family members who are available such as grandparents who are no longer working and have the time to care for the children during the day. For parents, this situation is often thought of as a safe and stress free method of childcare because they trust and know the caregiver. One factor to think about would be the amount of education or knowledge the caregiver has about child development, which undoubtedly would be very beneficial.
Non parental child care, no matter which type, has the potential to positively or negatively influence a child’s social, emotional or cognitive development. Based on many studies children spend more than 20 hours per week with caregivers other than their parents. This means that what the children encounter during their time with their caregiver is crucial to their development. According to a study made by Harold Skeels, he demonstrated that it is the quality (nurture) that affects children’s development, not the relationship of the person who provides it (nature). (Berns, pg. 163)Thus the care can come from someone other than the child’s mother. (Berns, pg. 163) Therefore, the type of care a child receives verses who is giving the care is a major factor in the development of a child. ”Regardless of the type, quality child care involves certain basics: a caregiver who provides warm, loving care and guidance for the child and works with the family to ensure that the child develops in the best possible way; a setting (home or center) that keeps the child safe, secure, and healthy; and developmentally appropriate activities that help the child develop emotionally, socially, mentally, and physically” (Berns, pg. 157-Clarke-Stewart, 1993; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2005).

References Banghart, Patti and Susman-Stillman, Amy; Quality in Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care Settings, May 2011, retrieved from: http://nccp.org/publications/pub_1010.html
Berns, Roberta M. (2010, 2013). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and Support (9th Ed.). Belmont, CA. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.