Day Care in America: What Is Needed?

[摘要] In the past 20 years, major demographic changes have irrevocably altered the character of American family life. More mothers than ever are in the out-of-home labor force: the number of school-age children whose mothers work outside the home rose to 65% in 1990; for mothers of preschool children, the number is around 50%.1 Most startling of all, nearly 54% of mothers of children younger than age 1 are now in the out-of-home labor force.2 By 1995, it is projected that 75% of all mothers will be working outside the home.3 Another critical change is an increased number of single parents, who are predominantly women. Today in the United States, 25% of all children are being raised in single-parent homes; 90% of these single parents are women.1 These parents must work to support themselves and their children; they can do so only if they have child care.In fact, at the last White House Conference on Children in 1970, child care was voted to be the No. 1 problem facing American children and families. Subsequently, the 1971 Child Development Act was passed, only to be vetoed by President Richard Nixon. This legislation would have established a national network of child care centers. For the next 20 years, very little action was taken at the national level. Finally in 1990, a child care bill authorizing $750 million in appropriations was passed, a funding level lower than that proposed in 1971.4 The dramatic demographic changes noted above were responsible for this change in political climate, illustrating Alfred Kahn's dictum that demographics drive social policy.5

[学科分类] 儿科学