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| Yes | 38% | 36 votes | Total: 94 votes | |
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Add to FavoritesMost people say that you can't put a price tag on your child's well being, and of course that's true. But what are you supposed to do when your child's day care expense is more than your bringing home. My husband works a great job 40 hours a week, overtime if he's given the opportunity, and yet I stay at home because we can not afford our living expenses plus day care. Well most people would say well make a few cut backs. Ok, yeah we've done that, but when there's a new baby around money is always tight. We spend roughly $100 just on diapers and formula every two weeks, that doesn't include clothes, wipes, and other necessities.
Most affordable "day-care" centers have 10-15 kids a room, and only 1-2 supervisors in each room, the ratio is not balanced. So at that point you're sacrificing your child's needs for a good deal. I know I would send my 4 month old daughter or even my 3 year old step-daughter to a day-care facility like that.
The higher ranked day care centers that use the term "child academy" or some other form of word play are to expensive. I recently looked at enrolling my daughter part time at one of these "academies" part time, so that I could work part time and its $700 dollars a day. I'm sorry but when you're working a job bringing home $7.50 and hour for 15 hours a week, my pay wouldn't even cover half of the daycare expense.
Then there is always a teenage girl who would love to watch your little one. Of course their cheap, but by the time you restock your refrigerator, and pay your phone bill, your back at square one. They aren't perfect, and most of them aren't responsible.
A nanny would be great to have around. You can trust that your child is getting complete attention, but without a background check do you really know that person. Nannies are very costly yet good at what they do.
Most states offer child care assistance through their YWMCA. But there are always guidelines, which most people don't meet. I know that personally in order for my family to meet those guidelines, my husband would have to work fewer hours, to make less money. Again people, you aren't getting anywhere.
My point is that even though you can't put a price tag on your child's well being, there needs to be more affordable child care, which offers good care for the average family. The most common problem is finding a place that's affordable, that you can trust. Sure I can find child care for my daughter, but I'm not going to let her be left in a dirt diaper for God knows how long.
For most parents it's hard enough for them to leave their children. Let alone leave them with someone they don't trust 100%. For each family it is different. Someone who has a lot of money can say Oh there's no reason I can't get a nanny or send my child to a kid academy. Of course not you have the money to spend. But other families like mine are kind of out of luck so to speak. I'm not complaining about being broke I'm just saying that even though there is affordable daycare for some families, and even single mothers can get help. The average American family cannot afford today's daycare prices, and make ends meet.
Learn more about this author, Sicily.
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No
What job is more important than nurturing a child? Those who care for the children of others-babysitters, day-care workers and teachers-are underpaid.
Unfortunat ely, child care is seen as women's work, and what is viewed as women's work has traditionally been devalued. Even now, in this so-called enlightened era-whether men or women are doing it-the work of rearing children is still viewed as relatively unimportant.
The average annual cost of day care for babies and toddlers in the U.S. is $8,150, according to Babycenter.com. The average cost for preschoolers, who require less hands-on attention, is $6,423. Imagine paying someone a yearly salary of under $10,000 to care for a child 40 hours a week. That's less than minimum wage. Even the occasional evening babysitter is worth more than $5 per hour.
Parents who place their children in the care of others often expect care givers to do more than the parents would be willing to do themselves. Babysitters, day-care workers and teachers are expected to create a safe, nurturing and mentally stimulating environment over an extended period. Day-care workers and teachers are also expected to meet the individual needs of children within a diverse group. It's exhausting work.
The ugly truth is this: Children are demanding, and caring for them is a job many Americans-even those who could afford to stay at home-would rather pay someone else to do. As a teacher who left her career to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom when her daughter was born, I report first hand that working outside the home in a job that doesn't feature children is more relaxing than caring for children full time. When my daughter entered elementary school, I returned to work-as a magazine editor.
Some of the blame can be laid on American society as a whole, which tends to discourage parents who would like to remain at home with their children. We're beseiged by media reports of studies essentially diminishing the role of the parent in child care. From these studies we're led to believe that full-time parenting is hopelessly out of date and economically impossible. But common sense dictates that being cared for by the parent is usually better for the child than being looked after by a stranger. (No one is going to think as highly of your child as you do.) And many households could learn to operate on a single income. In fact, many may be forced to in this recessionary economy.
When you consider all the demands of the job, babysitting and day-care costs in the U.S. are a bargain.
Learn more about this author, Laurie Kaiser.
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