Robyn Sandgren

FHS 1500
U3 Essay
OPTION C: CHILD CARE
If you were considering leaving your three year-old child in a child care facility (family day care
or child care center), what would be your major concerns? Why? Would your concerns be
different, if your child were an infant? Explain. Would you prefer an academic or a childcentered preschool for your child? Why?

If I was considering leaving my three-year-old at a child day care center, my major

concerns, would be the safety, group size, and teachers experience. I would want to know that
the facility is clean, there are security measures, and there are adequate policies for the sick
children. I would want there to be the correct ratio of students and teachers, to ensure that my
child is getting the attention he/she needs. With the correct setting, it can enhance the childs
cognitive and socials skills. (Berger. 2014. P.159) I would also want to know the level of
education that the teachers have. I would want to ensure that the teacher is actually making a
positive impact on my child. I believe the three concerns I mentioned would give my child the
best care, and give me peace of mind while leaving my child at a day care center. I think that if
my child was an infant I would still care about the cleanliness and security measures, but instead
of academic knowledge possessed by the teacher, I would want the caregiver to have a tender
and loving bond with the infant. I believe that the stronger emotional connection that infants
have the better they can develop in other ways. Though I feel strongly about academics, I think I

would want my three year old to be in a child-centered day care. I think its important at that
young of age to start to develop a sense of self, and expression.
Child-centered programs stress each child development and growth. (Berger. 2014.
P.194) These programs allow for each child to follow their interest rather than adult direction.
(Berger. 2014.P.194) I think this is important because at three years old, while its important for
children to start learning numbers and words, its also important for them to select their own area
of learning. At that age their attention span is very limited, so if they choose something to learn
about on their own, their attention will stay focused on that subject. I like how these centers have
everything available for their individual expression. These types of activities encourage just the
right growth for their developmental stage. It allows them to be little scientist (Berger. 2014.
P.116) just as they should be. I do like some of the benefits that teacher directed programs offer,
such as, the learning of schedule and listening to the teacher. This type of program does prepare
the students for elementary school, and may even give some children an advantage to succeed in
the first grade, as their conative skills are emphasized. (Berger. 2014. P.198) If I could find a
child day care center that includes some cognitive skill enhancing with mostly child center
learning, this would be ideal. I dont want my three year old to become confused with an
overload of information.
At the age of three, there is a rapid growth of development and great learning
development (Berger. 2014. P.194) going on, in a childs brain. This is an important time to try
and give the best learning tools as possible. With a clean, safe, and quality child day care center,
the developmental needs of children can be met. Weather one chooses a strictly child-center
program, or teacher-directed program, both can be very beneficial to the child.

Reference List

Berger, K. S. (2014). Invitation to the life span (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.