DOCUMENT RESUME

BD 098 309 CE 002 373

AUTHOR Hamberge Marie A. TITLE How to Succeei with Day Care. INSTITUTION Social and Rehabilitation Service (DREW), Washington, D.C. REPORT NO DHEW-SRS-73-02008 PUB DATE 72 NOTE 6p. JOURNAL CIT Human Needs; Aug 72

EDRS PRICE NF -$0.75 OC-$1.50 PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS *Attendant Training; Care Centers; *Day Care Programs; *Day Care Services

ABSTRACT The methods and activities involved in running a successful care center are the focus of the article. Legal requirements, nutrition, teaching techniques, and the recruitment of a family day care arereviewed. Desired characteristics of the family day care mother, and for her pre- and inservice training are also discussed. Outlines for content areas for a training curriculum for family day care , a typical schedule ofdaily activities, an outline of number conceptsdesigned to familiarize children with situations involving the use of number concepts, and resources for field trips are appended. (NH) BEST C.7. :ABLE

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How to 1 Succeed with FAMILY _s2Mth_ DAY CARE structured than a responsible agency such as a family or MARIE A. HAMBURG. About 6 per-riore informal and less issimilar to thejuvenile court. cent of the children of workingmothersday care center.It environment of a normal home. Fees for family day care services vary are in conventional day Larycenters. from State to State. depending. to sonic according to the O) partment of 1 ahor. "The children play. eat. rest. and par- ticipate in educational activities. asifextent, on the individualState", overall arty percent are cared for in thehome expenditure for day care services. These of a relative or friend; 5 lpercent arethey were in their own horn, 'Theyalso the fees may he paid by the orthe cared for in their own homes by an older receive the individual attention of day care motherAt the same time. the sponsoring agency directly toOw family . . or friend. or arc left on day care mother or to a puhre.volun- their own. Most of these childrenlive inmother is able to carry out many of her own daily tasks. tary. or proprietaryorganization provid- areas Where thereis a great need for ing the services through contract or and where the Inthepast.family day carehas more child care facilities other arrangements. working mother cannot afford paid care usually been only an informal arrange- ment between parents and aneighbor or If the natural mother is participating in or out of her home. friend. Today, good family Jay carein a training program (WorkIncentive A solution to the problem posedby Fmployment should he developed and supervisedby. Program.Concentrated the 91 percent isthe establishment of Program. Neighborhood Ye uthCorps. family day care centers organizedby or under the auspicesof. an agency or organization knowledgeable about child- or other manpowertraining program). public.private. and voluntarysocial ren. This agency ororganization may he these fees may he paid by the agency. service agencies but run in homesin and supported a State agency.Model Cities program. A federally approved areas most in need. family day care home may serve no theCommunity Action agency. or other These home centers can help meet indi-more than sixchildren of .1 through 14 needs of infants, presLhool, andschool- public. private. or voluntary group: five idual private citizens may alsowialifyyears of age.or no more than aged children whose parents arcabsent mother's own to act as such an -agency.- children tincluding the during the day..1 he centers can also children) of infancy throu0 age6. provide lob opportunities for the persons Arrangements for family day care guard- Laws require family day carehomes who organize and run them. services may he made by parents. other to he licensed to protect,:hildren from The family day care setting isusually ians. a social service agency. or a!! type% of hazards. The home must through field trips, films, and lectures. Agency service workers can playa p.!2tcertain physical standards devel- The sponsoring agency must assure key role in identifying potential family tic.' 1 by the licensing authority of thethat family day care children receiveday care mothers. Their casework tiles State or Federal funding agency. immunizations and all necessary medi- generally containrecords of present The home should have adequate andcal and dental care and social servicesas potential, and former public assistance safe indoor space for free play. eating, needed. On the other hand, the day care recipients who need employment, have and other purposes: adequate heatingmother should he fully informed of any been good parents themselves, and who and ventilation; adequate sleeping facili-problems among the children. may be needed at home to care for ties for napping; and safe and sanitary If possible, the day care home shouldtheir own children. outdoor space. Approval of these homeshe located in or near the neighborhood Word of mouth is alwaysa primary is required by tire departments, health of using the service. For the method of recruitment. Family daycare departments. and building inspection de- school-age child, the family daycare mothers tell their friends of the adv.- partments where local ordinances apply, home may serve as a day-time base oftages of the program and elicit!.hei. Few rules or laws exist, however, for activity and thus help keep his roots in interestinrunning afamily center. meeting the nutritional needs of childrenhis own neighborhood. Many new day care mothers have been in family day care. Sponsoring agencies Recruitment of family day care moth- recruited in this fashion. should insurethat these children areers can he handled in a variety of ways. Generally. family day care mothers provided adequate, nutritious meals. The agency should become familiar with are low-income mothers who provide In some areas. agencies are using thetheparticularneighborhoodto be child care for other low-income families. -satellite- food service program in coop- served. In some instances, the agencyThe family day care mother mustnot eration with the U.S. Department ofservice worker may already bewell have other paid employment or provide Agriculture, Under this program. a cen-acquainted with the neighborhood, itscare to children other than the day care tralized kitchen serves as the base for residents. and resources. In any case, the children placed under her supervision. preparation of all meals, which are then agency must make an assessment of the Visits to the home to assess the total delivered to the family day care homes. day care needs, community resources.family situation should be conducted by this method allows the family day careand the potential to fulfill these needs. a worker from the operating agency. The mother to spend more time with the After the assessment is completed, theworker can evaluate the physical and children, and the operating agencyis actual recruitment can begin. A briefsocial functioning of the family, family able to control the type of nutrition the description of the family day care pro-patterns and relationships. financial situ- children receive. gram is needed. 'This should iii%:lude the ations and needs, environmental factors. Appropriate toys, games. books, andprogram's purpose and goals. duties and and the mother's relationship with her other materials should he available to responsibilities of day care mothers, the own children. The worker can also enhance the educational developmentsponsoring agency,andthecontact determineapproximatelyhow many and creative experiences of children inperson for further information. children can actively be served 'n the family day care. But the mother's own Information can he sent out throughhome. Through these visits, the worker imagination can he the most important fliers, brochures, pamphlets. or leaflets can determine whether or not the home teaching instrument. to numerous places (local drugstores, meets the licensing requirements. For example. the day care mother can supermarkets.publicschools.health Two major factors to considerin teach differences in taste during snack cliMes, doctors' offices, churches. and selecting the family day care parentare time. S umber concepts can be taught community centers)., Presentationsto her desire to work with children and her using chairs, windows, or other furni-interested residents, former fosterpar- interest in participating in upgrading the ture. 1 he kitchen can be used as theents, and other groups may be made. quality of child care. focal point for most science activities; To widen its contacts. an agencymay When apotential family day care the bathroom, for personal hygiene. wish to solicit help from other federally mother has indicatedinterestinthe In some cities, volunteers or familysponsored programs such as Model Cit- program, careful screening by the agen- day care mothers take children to neigh- ies. Community Action programs, and cy must follow to determine whether she horhocvd parks. playgrounds. or centers employment services in seekingprospec- is right for the job. to participate in recreational activities,tive day care mothers. Advertisements The family they care mother should he creative arts. crafts. and tutoring. Envi-may also be placed in the classified a kind, responsible person who possesses ronmental sessions may also he held in section of local newspapers or timemay a genuine liking for children and who which the children are made more awarehe purchased oo local radio and televi- has knowle4.: af their needs and prob- of their neighborhood and its resources sion stations. lems. In addition, she should he flexible BEST COPY AVAILABLE

and patient. possess a real desire to work particular understanding of child devel- home economists) should he called upon with children. and he able to handle opment and of the needs of children. to assistthemot:ler. Such consultant emergency situations well. Often the unique contribution of the resources should he available later for I he family day t...ire mother should he experienced mother adds to the knowl- continuous use as a training mechanism. ofsuitable ag,e and temperament to care edge ofthe group as experiences are Inseriee training may he provided in for the children in her home. She must sharedwithothermothers.1 raining the home on an individual or group he in good physical and mental health. gives the mothers a chance to explore basis and out of the home in neighbor- All other tamily members must be tree new and differentways of handling hood group meetings las in the photo on of communicablediseases. I n sonic situations and to study currentideas this page. taken in Boston). These ses- States, chest X-rays. minium/anon re- in child development. sions may he held inthe evening to cords. and other medical data are re- Training should provided to all discuss day care problems and demon- quired of licensees, family day care mothers before children strate and present new materials. f ield amity da( care mothers may he of areplaced in their homes and on a trips to day care centers. health units. and other community' resources arc also VI recommended. lhese give the day care I mother an oppo-funity to see other types of child services and to tend out what services are available to her. Several training methods such as dis- cussions. lectures. group projects. field trips. demonstrations. workshops. and audio-visual aids are appli,:able to pre-

tt employment and inservice training. The agency should explore the methods that hest meet the needs of the participants and that accomplish its goals. Agencies with limited staff reources may train persons a, day care aides. day carecounselors.leacher-mo'hers.or teacher assistants to go into the day care varied educational hackgrounds. from regular basis thereafter.-I he extent of homes to assist in carrying out educa- different economic groups. and range in pre-employment training may vary. de- tional activities, Fach I' arson should he age from young married women to pending on the manpower and financial assigned a given number of homes to senior ciniens.I he day care mother resources of the operating agency. Some each day or week. Sonic of their must he able to read. write. anti speak sessions may he as long as six weeks duties would include recruiting mothers reasonably well. iShe may have to he prior to the opening of the center: others for the program. assisting a day care hilingual, also. depending on the ethnic may he as brief as one week. In sonic mother in tilling out attendance records background of the children.)I hisis instances there will be no pre-employ- and progress reports. serving as a substi- necessary in order for her to read stories ment training at all. in these cases a vital tute when a day care mother has medi- to the children. communicate effectively inservice program is imperative. cal appointments or in emergency situa- with them their parents. and with agen- Homes operatedbyagenciesthat tions. and assisting with field trips and cy representatives. sponsor longer initial training periods other educational activities. A high school diploma or its equiva- will probably have fewer problems with At its best. the family day care moth- lentisdesiredbutoughtnottohe the children and mothers adjusting to er and her home can provide the child required. However. the mother must he the new experience. After the day care with affectionate. protective care. the willing to take training and direction.mother begins to care for children. a companionship of children. educational Program developers should reali/e the field worker assigned by the sponsoring experiences, and an environment that importance of providing family day care agency should make several visits to the can nurture development, Nis mothers with training. training- as home weeklyto checkthe mother's used here is defined as an opportunity progress.Itthere are problems. com- Ms. Hamherg is a social science pro- for the mother and the agency to matchmunity resources and consultants isocial gram specialistwiththe Community strengths brought by each. Both bring a workers. child development specialists. Services Administration. SRS. APPENDIX

Suggested Content Areas for Training Curriculum for Family Day Care Mothers

Basis Needs of the Child Health

Emotional and physical security First aid (basics) Sense of belonging Safety t Nourishment Protection frcif hazards Emotional and physical well-being Recognizing childhood illnesses Mental growth and development Personal" ; II Discipline and training How to hank- er fergencies Responsibilities of the Day Care Mother Points of Emr tis Home management Development of wholesome self-concepts Planning household duties Discipline unishment Food preparation and service Importance of individual differences 111 Meeting the emotional, mental, social, and physical needs of Relationships with natural parents the child Self-improvement through training Encouraging child growth and development Laws affecting the job (licensing requirements, etc.) Guiding children's behavior language development Maintaining relationships with natural parents Stimulation Initiating and carrying out creative activities Agency policies and prr'edures Participating in training programs Qualities of a good employee Knowledge of community resources Employee-employer relationships

Typical Schedule of Daily Activities in a Family Day Care Home Day Duties

6:15 a.m. Mother awakens ano begins routine activities. 11:30 a.m. All return home; children engage in free play while lunch is being prepared. 6:50 a.m. First day care child arrives. 12 noon Lunch is served. 7:00 a.m. Breakfast is served to family (including day care child). 12:30-1:45 p.m.Naptime. 7:30 a.m. leaves; WOWS own children to school. 1:45-2:15 p.m. Children are awakened, toileted; diaper changes, etc. 7:40 a.m. Two other day care children arrive (breakfast is 2:15.3:00 p.m. given). Educational activities (painting. games, music, finger plays, role playing, etc.). 7:45 a.m. Family day rare mother sets up playroom. 3:00-3:30 p.m. Afternoon snack. 8:00-9:30 a.m. Morning free 04 period. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Watch Sesame Street on T.V. 9:30-10 a.m. Clean-up period. 4:50-5.20 p.m. Free play. 10:00-10:15 a.m. Storytime. 5:00 p.m. Two day care children leave; third day care child 10:15-10:45 a.m. Mother and children prepare far walk. continues free play. 10:45-11:15 a.m. Mother takes children on walk; picks up children 5:30 p.m. Third day care child leaves. from school. 5:30-5:45 p.m. Mother cleans up play area. Night Duties

Plan menus for next day. Attend training session (when held). plan and gather materials for educational activities.

Handbook for Kindergarten School, City of Richmond, Ind. Number Concepts

The purpose at this level is not mastery of facts or skills but rather acquaintancewith situations Involving the use of number. The following outline may help to summarize the experiences to be provided:

I. Vocabulary and Fundamental Knowledge E. Size Concepts 1. Big, bigger, biggest A. Time Concepts 2. Large, larger, largest 1. A long time. a short time, etc. 2. Soon, now, never. before, after, etc. 3. Small, smaller. smallest 4. Big, large, huge, etc. 3. Morning, noon. afternoon, evening, etc. 5. Small, little, tiny, wee, etc. 4. Days of the week 5. Name of the current month F. Quantity Concepts 6. Seasons of the year 1. All, more, some, etc. 7. Yesterday. today, tomorrow, etc. 2. More, most, etc. 8. Reading .ie calendar 3. Few, many, every, several, etc. B. Location Concepts II. Money Concepts 1. Up tind down A. A knowledge of simple coins 2. Above. bottom. middle. etc. 1. Penny 3. Tcp. bottom, middle. etc. 2. Nickel 4. Front, behind. beside. between, etc. 3. Dime C. Distance Concepts B. Comparison of Money Values 1. Far and near 1. A nickel will buy more than a penny 2. A long way. etc. 2. A dime will buy more than a nickel or a penny 3. Walking distance, driving distance, etc. III. Use of Numbers for Counting and Computing D. Speed Con Jepts 1. Slow, slower, slowest A. Counting simple objects, people, etc., to find out how many 2. Fast, faster, fastest B. Recognizing half an object

Resources for Field Trips (Ade your own ideas)

In Your Locality Train station and ride Bus station and ride Supermarket The square Fire station Florist or nursery Police station Weather station Service station Library Recreation and Nature Department store Parks Post office Zoo Walk through the neighborhood Lakes Visit a nearby farm Historical In Your Community Churches Court house Outstanding homes Dairy Landmarks Airport Monuments

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