Indeed, good care can be found at a range of day cares, even some where pay is low and classes large. But state records also tell of caregivers caught slapping or ignoring children. And a recent study of N.C. day cares found large numbers of children getting so little attention and stimulation from caregivers that their development was at risk. Without a high level of motivation, caregivers may tune children out or quit when the job gets frustrating. More than four out of 10 N.C. child-care workers leave their jobs each year.
Young children feel safer and learn better when they can bond with a caregiver, experts say.
Every time a teacher leaves, the children who have gotten attached to her feel loss and insecurity. The 1995 report, in which professors analyzed care in North Carolina and three other states, was among a handful of recent reports identifying stable care by well-trained professionals as a key to children's success in life. The emphasis on formal education runs counter to common sense for many people. An untrained caregiver might be content with keeping diapers changed, stomachs full and fussy babies placated with swing seats, advocates of training say. With older children, caregivers who don't have proper training may simply baby-sit, watching the kids to make sure they stay out of danger, or drill them in academic skills that aren't appropriate for their age.