Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/we-all-sing-in-perfect-disharmony-the-politics-of-child-care/5011119/
What's wrong with this picture?Child care makes a difference for children!
Mounting research evidence underscores the value of quality child care in supporting children and families:
_ In reviewing 36 studies of early childhood programs, W. Steven Barnett concludes that high quality programs "can produce large short-term benefits for children in intelligence quotient (IQ) and sizable long-term effects on school achievement, grade retention, and social adjustment." (Behrman)
_ In a review of four major longitudinal evaluations, Hirokazu Yoshikawa concludes that "as one element in a comprehensive plan to address poverty and other environmental causes of crime, programs combining family support with early childhood education show promise in lessening the current devastating impact of delinquency on America's children and families." (Behrman)
_ A study by the GAO reports that child care is the most important factor in getting low-income mothers off welfare and into the workforce. Raising child care subsidies, concludes the report, could significantly increase the number of poor mothers who work. (Seitel)
Child care makes a difference for employers!
Growing numbers of employers are reporting that providing child care assistance for employees makes good business sense:
_ Researchers at the University of Michigan found a direct, positive relationship between attitudes, recruitment, and retention ...