Blog for 5-29-08

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, in the Work and Family section, Sue Shellenbarger talks about child care center safety records, and results of inspections that are now made public, via the internet, for parents to review. According to Ms. Shellenbarger, 20 of the 50 states have begun to post the results of inspections online. Thirteen more plan to do so soon. This article highlights the importance and need for transparency in the operations of child care programs.

Parents want to know whether a child care program has a clean record in its work with children. Recently while talking with the director of a local child care program, here in Brooklyn, she mentioned that a new parent told her that she checked on the program’s inspection record through Craig’s List before bringing her child to the center. Parents are concerned, and rightly so, that they are putting their children in a safe environment.

In an effort to be open and transparent about their center’s operations some child care programs have gone as far as to have cameras installed so that parents can view child care activities at the center during certain hours of the day through the internet; this helps the parent to know what is happening with and to their child during the day. While some of us may think that is a little extreme, the point is that we should each in our own way make an effort to include parents in the planning and daily activities of our child care program and make them comfortable that their child is safe and nurtured. If we are providing safe, healthy, nurturing and developmentally appropriate child care services we should have nothing to hide. We can feel comfortable with parents having full access to the program.

Smart Child Care businesses will see this trend towards more transparency as an effective marketing strategy when designing program operations and policies.