Press Room

Has Family Child Care Changed? You Bet!
by Debra Wright

It seems to me that family child care has experienced a revolution. Gone are the days of the isolated, uneducated, uninformed child care provider. The day of the stay-at-home-mom casually caring for the neighbourhood children has blossomed into a full-fledged career for those interested and willing to devote the time, energy and commitment required to seeking out training and educational opportunities for themselves and for their child care colleagues.

Today’s family child care providers demand professional recognition. They are strong advocates for quality child care in neighbourhoods and communities. In addition, the parents of children who require care while they work outside the home have changed. When beginning their all-important child care search, they are more knowledgeable, insisting on “more than just babysitting” for their young children. Parents have come to respect their child care provider as a partner and an ally in the raising of their children, and as a savvy business person who provides an invaluable service to those who need it.

Caregivers of the decade behind us paved the way for future generations of child care providers, and the voices of these caregivers spoke loudly and clearly about the importance of providing educational and networking opportunities for the child care professional. They stressed that implementation of providing caregivers with early childhood training experiences would only improve the quality of services offered to the children, families and communities served. It is these dedicated caregivers who continue to tell us about the importance of bringing caregivers together, through networking experiences such as conferences and workshops.

Programs, such as provincial child care resource and referral offices, and provincial and local child care associations/societies mean that the family child care provider no longer sits alone. Feeling isolated no longer need to be part of the daily agenda. These programs provide a wealth of information and support for child care professionals, as well as advocating for quality child care services throughout the province.

Today’s family child care provider is an entrepreneur, maintaining contracts, a policy and procedure manual, and a well thought out program of activities. This is a knowledgeable individual — motivated and self-confident, having chosen child care as a profession, simply because of a love for children. What an enormous contribution the family child care provider can make to society!

Family child care has come a long way over the past decade. Our new-found professionalism enhances more than our job satisfaction — it also enhances the quality of care that children receive today and that children will receive in the future.

Debra Wright has operated her own licensed family child care facility for the past 13 years in Surrey, B.C. and has been a strong advocate and active member in her child care community. Debra currently focuses her volunteer energies as a board member of the education steering committee and as recording secretary for the Western Canada Family Child Care Association of B.C.