Parents Weigh the Costs of Quality Child Care – in Dollars and Sense

Easter Seals (National Easter Seal Society)
Tuesday, 10 July 2001

Easter Seals Survey Finds Parents Willing to Pay More for Better Care

Chicago – July 10, 2001 – Given today's unpredictable economy, most folks are starting to pinch pennies on everything—everything except child care, that is. A recent national survey1 commissioned by Easter Seals revealed some enlightening facts about parents' feelings on child care, including that many parents are willing to pay top dollar to ensure their children receive the highest quality care available.

In fact, the survey found that 30 percent of parents with children in child care would be willing to pay 10 percent or more above the current rate to ensure the best care available.

Approximately 650 parents with children under age six – 233 of whom had at least one child enrolled in a child care center – participated in the study conducted by Yankelovich Partners on behalf of Easter Seals. The survey measured attitudes and experiences in all aspects of child care – from the top priorities to the bottom line.

Parents Dare to Compare Quality Care…Ideal vs. Real

"When parents define their ideal child care center, they start with safety and staffing," said Beverly Romanowski, director of Yankelovich Partners and lead researcher on the Easter Seals survey. Two of parents' top requirements focus on basic safety (95 percent) and child-friendly atmosphere (80 percent), while requirements relating to the quality of the staff round out the top five list.

The majority of parents consider it very important that a care center have a staff that is warm, friendly and approachable (86 percent) and well-trained (78 percent), and a low child-to-caregiver ratio (72 percent). Surprising, however, is the difference between parents' ideal child care and their real child care scenarios. In fact, only one in four parents say that any of their top requirements are definite strengths of their current centers.

Despite the discrepancy, 92 percent of parents are at least somewhat satisfied with their current center. Of those dissatisfied with their child care center, the majority feel that their facility has inexperienced or not well-trained staff (62 percent), while one in three report the facility is understaffed (30 percent) or does not provide high-quality care (27 percent).

"When the parents surveyed selected the most significant child care center characteristics, they emphasized the importance of caring, well-trained teachers," said Bob Siegel, network director, Easter Seals Child Development Centers. "This confirms that Easter Seals – known for its nurturing, well-trained staff – is answering an important need."

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the first three years of life are critical to a child's brain development. The quality of their environment and social experience has a decisive, long-lasting impact on a child's well-being and ability to learn.

The Search for Quality Care

Locating quality child care can be a daunting task. More than half of parents with children currently enrolled in a child care center report that finding a child care center was at least somewhat difficult, and one in five had a very difficult experience. Of those parents who reported moderate difficulty in finding a child care center, most pointed to a shortage of facilities in their community (55 percent), a lack of affordable care (51 percent) or care that did not meet their specific needs (42 percent).

Parents with special needs children face an even greater challenge in the child care search, with nearly every state reporting shortages in child care for infants, ill children and children with disabilities.2 One challenging aspect is therapy. Among parents who found it difficult to locate a child care center, more than one in five (21 percent) reported struggling to find a center that provided the therapy their child needed.

Parents Open to New Child Care Options

With the supply of quality child care lagging behind an ever-increasing demand, parents appear open to new forms of child care. The majority of parents surveyed (78 percent) perceive inclusive child care—which places children of all physical, emotional and academic abilities in the same learning environment—to be beneficial for all children, regardless of ability.

The experts agree. "Pre-school age children of all abilities tend to enjoy the same activities and relate to one another in a similar fashion," said Dr. David Milov, a pediatrician, Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics and founder of QualKids.com, an online, interactive network of child care information and services for the child care industry. "At that age, it's difficult for children to distinguish between a 'typically developing' child and one with either a learning or physical disability."

Approximately half of parents feel that children benefit from inclusive child care because it exposes them to peers of different ages and levels of abilities (55 percent), prepares children for elementary school (49 percent) and exposes children to teachers trained in child development and in monitoring "developmental milestones" (47 percent).

A provider of inclusive care for more than 15 years, Easter Seals believes that exposing young children to individual differences at a very early age teaches them essential life lessons about acceptance, respect, caring and hope. Typically developing children serve as role models from whom children with disabilities learn age-appropriate communication and social behaviors; children without disabilities learn to understand and accept differences, while receiving care from teachers trained in every stage of child development.

"A major benefit of inclusive care – such as that provided by Easter Seals," stated Dr. Milov, "is that it offers teachers trained in child development and in monitoring developmental milestones, and thus able to detect the early signs of any potential developmental concerns in any child."

Easter Seals Ensures Quality Child Care Solutions

Every Easter Seals Child Development Center operates according to National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation standards. Only 12 percent of child care centers in the U.S. are accredited by this premier accreditation organization, a symbol of quality assurance.

NAEYC-accredited centers emphasize on-going training for care givers; low adult to child ratios to ensure small group and individualized attention; developmentally appropriate learning activities to meet the unique needs of each child; and superior facilities that meet or exceed industry health and safety standards. Operating as a non-profit enables Easter Seals to offer high quality service at a competitive cost, reinvesting revenues back into its program services.

Easter Seals formed its Child Development Center network in June 2000 to further strengthen quality standards and expand its reach to additional communities. The organization has made strides toward its five-year goal of 125 centers nationwide, with the number of Easter Seals Child Development Centers climbing from 30 to 45 in the first year.

For more than 80 years, Easter Seals has been providing services that help children and adults with disabilities gain greater independence. Our primary services --medical rehabilitation, job training and employment, inclusive child care, adult day services, and camping and recreation -- benefit more than 1 million individuals and their families each year through 450 centers nationwide.

For more information, or to contact Easter Seals (National Easter Seal Society), see their website at: www.easter-seals.org