FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday, May 9, 1998
Contact: Michael Kharfen, (202) 401-9215
HHS HELPS PARENTS CHOOSE AND STATES BETTER INFORM PARENTS
ON QUALITY CHILD CARE
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today released a new, practical and easy-to-use
guide for parents to choose quality child care providers and a brochure for
states on improving consumer education to parents. Both were announced by President
Clinton in his message for Mother's Day.
"This handy and helpful guide can give parents more confidence in selecting
the best child care provider for their children," Shalala added. "This
is one way that government can help, but we still need to invest in support
for working families so they can make these critical choices about their child
care."
The "Four
Steps" guide suggests a simple, basic approach to selecting a quality
child care provider: interview the potential caregiver, check references, make
the decision for quality care and stay involved with the caregiver. Each step
has a list of easy to follow questions for parents to ask and check off to learn
about how the potential provider interacts with children, responds to parents,
ensures proper health and safety standards, is affordable, and meets any special
needs of their children. There are also toll-free numbers for more information
on health and safety, and to find a local child care resource and referral program.
A February 1998
report by the HHS Inspector General found that "most [states] were
not able to provide sufficient consumer education" for parents to decide
on quality child care programs. HHS' new guide to states provides successful
examples and useful recommendations to states and child care administrators
on how to help parents assess their child care needs, locate services, obtain
subsidies for income eligible families, evaluate quality and choose the best,
appropriate care for their children. The guide contains examples of effective
public awareness campaigns, use of the world wide web and toll free telephone
numbers, information resources, and state initiatives to enhance child care
quality.
Finding quality child care is a challenge for parents. A survey of parents
revealed that 62 percent of working parents report major problems finding quality
child care to meet their needs. A study on quality and cost of child care in
several states found that only 1 out of 7 child care programs met an acceptable
level of quality. Another reported that 13 percent of regulated and 50 percent
of non-regulated care provided inadequate care. Most importantly, a continuing
study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development shows
that there is a direct connection between higher quality care and better cognitive
development for children.
"Though states are making investments to help improve the quality of
care, there is a long way to go," Olivia Golden added, "The "Four
Step" guide and the consumer education brochure for states won't go out
of date to help parents find quality child care."
Early this year, President Clinton proposed an historic investment in child
care for America's working families. The unprecedented $21.7 billion program
will expand subsidies for low income working families, increase tax credits
for middle income families and provide resources to states and communities to
enhance and ensure that parents have quality choices in child care providers.
The President's plan gives parents flexible options to choose a child caretaker
in their home, in a neighborhood home or a center. There are about 10 million
children eligible for federal subsidies, yet as of 1995, only a little over
1 million children received support. With 70 percent of America's mothers in
the work force, working parents are desperately in need of help to continue
to support their kids and have safe, healthy places for their children for part
of the day.
Both guides will be distributed to states and communities and are available
on the world wide web at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov. For the toll-free number for
a nearby child care resource and referral program, call Child Care Aware at
(800) 424-2246. For more information on health and safety in child care programs,
call the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care at (800)
598-KIDS.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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