A Professional Childcare Centre Can Provide Long-Term Benefits for Children
With the cost of living in the greater Ottawa area rising, it’s not usually possible for parents to stay home with their children. The numbers of homes with two working parents has been steadily increasing for decades. However, many parents feel a measure of guilt when they have to leave their little ones in the local childcare centre while they go to work. But the truth is, you can breathe easily—a study conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health has proven that early childcare is actually healthy for kids, who can reap long-term benefits from daycare.
Benefits of Quality Daycare
The study found that by being placed in a high-quality daycare, children will benefit in both the short- and long-term. Children that attend a childcare centre that employs quality techniques and staff trained in early childhood education will learn to interact with other kids faster than children who are not in daycare. They may also experience an increase in test scores later on in the teenage years. The educational, social, and emotional benefits make professional childcare and preschool services very popular among many parents!
Exceptions to the Rule
However, nothing is absolute—the study did find that there are some exceptions. Children placed in lower-quality daycare programs do not gain the same short-term or long-term benefits that a quality childcare program produces. The study also noted a tendency among these children to misbehave more than other children their age. And it appears that if children spend too much time at daycare, they can exhibit more impulsive behaviors in their teenage years than kids who spent a more moderate amount of time.
What Constitutes Quality Care?
A quality childcare centre is one that is based on proven techniques. By staffing professionals in early childhood education who provide children with a mix of learning, structured play, free play, and activities that build social skills, such a centre is able to bring out the best in your children. The study found that it is very important for daycare providers to get to know their kids personally and exhibit genuine warmth towards them. This kind of highly personal approach will greatly improve a child’s experience there.
