|
By Ellen Keelan, in collaboration with Windham Child Care Association Permission for publication elsewhere is freely granted, so long as credit is given to Ellen Keelan, Windham Child Care Association, and the Brattleboro Reformer. 5. Child Care in Crisis: Comprehensive care systems pay off in Europe A century and a half ago, a radical educational concept came to America from Germany -- the kindergarten movement. Originally viewed as either a privilege for the rich or a charitable gift for the working poor, kindergarten has since become an entitlement for the vast majority of children in America -- changing our entire notion of early learning. Today, our early care and education system is still taking lessons from Europe. Countries like France, Italy, and Denmark have long considered positive educational experiences in the years from birth to five essential to the growth and development of children. And they have, in turn, seen the growth and development of children as essential to the well being of their nations. "Last May, I visited early childhood programs in France," says Windham Child Care Association's executive director Elizabeth Christie. "I can't begin to tell you what it felt like to be in a country whose national policy is to 'welcome' and 'awaken' every newborn child. It struck me deeply, both as a professional and a parent." That policy has resulted in a comprehensive system of government-funded, high-quality early education programs available to all citizens at minimal or no cost. Contrast that to child care in America, where families who do not qualify for the limited government support that is available must come up with their own financing, sometimes paying more than $10,000 a year for care of varying quality. In fact, the United States is one of the few developed countries that have not invested in an early education system as a way to ensure a healthy and prosperous national future. "In Italy, there is a far greater awareness of the important role of early childhood education in the future of the country," says Kathi Apgar, president of the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children and director of the Bristol, Vermont, Family Center, "And they've taken huge strides to fund it." Apgar was one of a group of early childhood professionals who visited children's programs in Italy this summer. What she found was a commitment to early education that has been passed from generation to generation, becoming part of the very fabric of the nation's culture. "I had a chance to talk with the Secretary of Education about the differences in our cultures," recalls Apgar. "She said, 'Roads will always get built; buildings will always get painted. We have one opportunity to create an experience for young children that will positively affect the rest of their lives. And our fathers and grandfathers did the same for us.' There's just a whole different tone about what's valued!" The commitment of these nations reflects more than a desire to aid families; it is based on completely different attitudes toward early learning. Unlike in America, where child care is sometimes viewed as a necessary evil when parents must work outside of the home, most European nations feel that early education is the best way to introduce young children to social skills and the building blocks of learning. In France, attendance at the national preschools for three- to five-year-olds, which is voluntary, is nearly 100%. With this sort of enthusiastic support, it's no wonder child care is a priority when it comes to government funding. With funding secure, early childhood professionals are free to devote their energies to their most important task -- teaching. "In Italy, the state takes care of all the bills," says Apgar, reflecting on her own role as a center director. "The director's job is to ensure that teachers are well trained, supported, and have all the resources they need to teach children. That's how we as directors in America saw ourselves, but many of us have become so laden with the financial aspects of child care that we burn out." Center directors in Europe are aided by highly qualified staff. Because care in European nations tends to be subject to strict governmental regulations, quality is universally much higher than in the U.S. Teachers in France must have the equivalent of a master's degree in early education -- a rarity among child care providers in the United States. The government supports this effort by providing free education and stipends for students who agree to teach for five years, and by rewarding early childhood educators with salaries equivalent to those of elementary teachers. While early education centers are the mainstay of most European systems, governments also support the development of young children by granting extended parental leave to employees. American parents, guaranteed only 12 weeks of unpaid job leave, must scramble to find a child care provider -- always a difficulty with infant care in notoriously short supply throughout the nation. By contrast, parents in France receive a 16-week paid leave, which they may extend into up to a year of unpaid leave with job security. For those who choose to return to work sooner, subsidized early care centers are readily available at a sliding scale. Benefits like these may sound great to parents, but is the European model of integrated early care and education feasible in this country? "It would take a huge chunk of funding on the part of the government and businesses," says Apgar. "In Italy, businesses are given huge tax incentives by the government to fund child care. That may take the form of providing maintenance and repairs for schools, or providing funding for just one child care slot." Public-private partnerships like these are slowly gaining ground in the United States. In a number of states, they have formed the basis for introducing a year of pre-kindergarten as an entitlement to all children. According to early education advocates like Kim Friedman, Windham Child Care Association's Advocacy Initiative Coordinator, such changes are long overdue. "It's amazing to talk to a businessperson from France about the importance of child care. It's not a charity cause. It's not something they go into kicking and screaming. They understand the economics of it. They understand that everyone benefits. They understand that it's the right thing to do." | |||
| last update 10/25/00 | |||
| Site Map |
|---|