Maintaining compliance with current regulations, while providing affordable quality care, is a dilemma faced by child care providers, directors and owners every day. Providers understanding the need for regulations to provide the needed framework of guidelines to ensure safe, healthy and developmentally appropriate child care environments. Providers also know firsthand the high costs of providing quality care. Parents want their children in nurturing programs that provide the best in developmentally appropriate care. However, few parents can afford the full cost of quality care.
Providers continually seek ways to cut costs without cutting services.
Complying with increased agency regulations and policies add extra costs to an already tight budget. Meeting the needs and requirements of regulatory agencies, children and families within the realities of the provider s financial resources is a seemingly impossible task. This struggle can lead to frustration, anger and job burnout. There are things that providers can and should do to make their jobs easier. Providers should seek opportunities to network with other providers to share success and concerns.