New Report: School-based Child Care

Posted by on May 12, 2006

[posted from Public Education Network newsblast]

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY ABOUT SCHOOL-BASED CHILD CARE?

Each year, half a million teenagers become mothers in the United States. School-based child care programs are a positive way for educational institutions to encourage young mothers to return to or stay in school prepare for employment, and acquire accurate information about child development and appropriate parenting practices. Nationwide, school-based child-care centers are increasing in number and are used to meet a variety of needs: They give teenage mothers an incentive to stay in school, and students interested in working with babies and young children get practical experience by changing diapers, resolving disputes over toys, and writing lesson plans. For some schools, career education is the main objective for operating child-care facilities. And in some cases, the centers provide on-site child care for teachers and other school employees. Evidence suggests: (1) When there are child care centers in public high schools, teen-age parents whose children attend the facility are more likely to complete their education and less likely to become dependent on welfare. (2) Schools benefit through lower dropout rates, improved parent education programs, vocational training for students, and increased performance from faculty who enroll their children in the facility. (3) Communities profit from having a lower number of welfare participants; more efficient use of public health, nutrition, and social services; and more accessible high quality child care. (4) The child care profession gains trained professionals, and all the children involved benefit from a high-quality preschool education.

http://www.principalspartnership.com/schoolbasedchildcare.pdf