An Excerpt from The Survival Guide for Working Moms (and Other Stressed-Out Adults)

Choosing the right child care

Three out of every five children under six-years-old  are regularly cared for by people other than their parents—at a child care center, preschool, in their own homes, relatives’ homes, or in family run day care homes.* The quality of child care varies tremendously.  How can you make the best choice for your child and your family?

Health and safety are first and foremost

Health and safety are the “must have” ingredients of any child care arrangement, whether it is baby-sitting, family day care, or a center-based program.  Next, you want to make sure that the child care you are considering provides the building blocks for learning. The person caring for your child should be able to spend some one-on-one time with each child, and the setting should look inviting, with sufficient toys, books and other resources. Children who get little attention in day care will be demanding and unhappy at home, and may have behavior problems later as well. The better the child care, the better your child will learn vocabulary words and develop other basic skills, including the ability to get along with other children.

*U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Child Health USA 2006. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006. http://mchb.hrsa.gov/chusa_06/popchar/0206wmcc.htm.

To read more, get a FREE copy of our book, “The Survival Guide for Working Moms (and Other Stressed-Out Adults),” by Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D. and Brandel France de Bravo, M.P.H. 

* While quantities last. Premiums subject to availability. A substitution of equal or greater value may be made. 

About the authors

Diane Zuckerman, Ph.D. is the President of the National Research Center for Women & Families, a research and education charity that provides free health and safety and works to improve policies and programs that improve the health of women, children and families. Brandel France de Bravo is the Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the National Research Center for Women & Families. For useful information about health issues that affect your family and for more information about the National Research Center for Women & Families, visit http://www.center4research.org/