Social Policy

Caring for Our Young

This article discusses the state of paid childcare in America. Compared to French childcare services, the United States seems inferior. Observations include a better-stocked library and a more mature style of table manners. How the children are kept in day care service may have far reaching implications. Questions of whether childcare should more play-centric or more education-centric are considered.
It is a struggle in the US to find childcare. Families rely on outside services, especially daycare centers in a growing number. Many families also use the help of relatives. In France, almost 100% of the parents enroll their children into the public system of daycare, which is not mandatory and is considered as part of children’s early education. In France, extra assistance would be provided to a region rather than singling out individual families as in the US.
In a country like Denmark, childcare is different than France. The emphasis is not on an early education. Adults are there to supervise the children while they play and do not insert them into it.
The United States operates on a mother-replacement model of childcare. If the state wishes to replace the current methods, than they may want to use Denmark as an example. Family leave for both parents may want to be implemented in US legislature.
The article comes off as kind of critical and negative towards the United States’ daycare system. I was put in a private daycare at a Protestant church, and that was pretty good. A state run day care that is affordable to all people would be great and I think it would be beneficial to look to Europe’s methods in order to improve our own.

Work-Family Policies: The United States in International Perspective