Childcare is one of the most important industries in America. With about 21 million, babies, toddlers, and children living in the U.S. currently, and almost 60% of working mothers with children under the age of 1, child care centers provide parents with a safe, nurturing environment for their children while they are unable to watch them.
There are about 871,700 daycare centers in the U.S., according to IBIS research. Many of these centers offer full day care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and even offer after school programs for school age children. They have separate classrooms that contain age appropriate toys, equipment, and cots for sleeping.
Many centers also offer early childhood educational opportunities for extremely young children. Studies show that children that attend daycare earn about $5,000 more dollars than children who do not. In toddler classrooms, they practice letter recognition, sing songs, and also get the children involved in large motor activities at least twice a day. The toddlers are taken outside to play on age-appropriate playgrounds, and teachers often go on neighborhood walks with the children.
In older classrooms, such as preschool and prekindergarten, children are taught how letters sound, how to write them, and begin to piece them together into simple two-letter and three-letter words. The lead teachers that work with these children are usually highly qualified, and about 35% of childcare workers in the U.S. are either in school earning an education degree, or already have an education background.
Since play is also a major part of fostering critical social and emotional skill development, these centers place a large amount of focus in this area. Even the more academic lessons are centered around play activities that encourage cooperation and problem solving skills. With the help of group interaction, children learn how to speak up for themselves and resolve issues with their friends in a kind, courteous manner.
Because of the educational opportunities and the safe atmosphere that daycare centers provide, they are perhaps the best place for young children to be while their parents are away at work, or unable to care for them during the day. With the help of these programs, children will be able to have fun, grow, and blossom into creative, independent, nurturing individuals. Continue.