High-quality Childcare Does Not Just Happen!

Last week I had a wonderful conversation with another parent educator. She is doing some great things and I wanted to know about them. I also wanted to share with her what was happening with PT&A. During the course of our conversation she made an off-hand quip when I spoke about high-quality child care. She said something to the effect “well everybody has a different idea of quality in daycare, right?” She was surprised and even shocked when I told her there are actually industry standards for early education and there are 10 Standards with detailed information below each to the tune of a book of more than 100 pages. Unfortunately, this is the case most of the time when I talk to other professionals about what I do.

It can be frustrating when other professionals assume that early education is not really education. I usually start a conversation with elementary educators about early childhood; with the fact that there are 90-semester hours of difference in the two fields of education. Then, I tell them in order to get my MA in ECE, I needed to set aside everything about my undergraduate degree and in essence start over.

In today’s research driven society the first five years have become in vogue. People from everywhere are coming out of the woodwork concerened about what is happening in a field I have been a part of since 1987. They are concerned about this knowledge and want to jump in and do what is necessary to take brain development seriously. Because no one is doing it well. FEALLY?

High-quality standards are important and necessary it has been defined and the standards are clear and precise.

Relationships

Curriculum

Teaching

Assessment of Child Programs

Health

Staff Competencies, Training, and support

Families

Community Relationships

Physical Environment

Leadership and Management

I am on a crusade to ensure parents and the general pubic understand what these standards are and why they are important. I hope you will come on the journey with me. If you have young children in care this information is vital to you. Share it with other parents you know and help all of us understand the standards and use them to ensure our children are not just well taken care of, but are receiving the babies quality care available!

Believe in Parenting

What more information? ptanda.org