Chapter 2 Determining the Need for Child Care
47
In many cases, the lab schools serve the chil-
dren of families that work for the training pro-
gram. Because of their reputation for high
quality, many lab schools have long waiting
lists. Much of the basic curriculum that is found
in both child care and Head Start was devel-
oped in laboratory school settings.
Parent Cooperatives
Parent cooperatives use parents as assis-
tants in the classroom. By volunteering their
time, parents can reduce the cost of the care.
Parent cooperatives are usually owned by a
group of parents. They organize it, hire a
teacher, make many of the toys, donate snacks,
and work as assistants to the teacher. They also
serve as a policy-making board for the program.
Parent cooperatives are often part-day programs. Because parents volunteer their
time, a parent with a full-time job might have difficulty participating. Some coopera-
tives allow working parents to provide snacks, maintenance work, bookkeeping, or
other services in place of direct work in the classroom.
Kindergartens
In many school districts, kindergartens are offered for five-year-olds. The pro-
grams are held in schools and staffed by school district teachers. The kindergarten
year helps serve as a bridge for the child who is moving from the smaller, nurturing
setting of child care to the more formal structure of the elementary school.
Traditionally, kindergartens have been play oriented. They have provided the next
logical step in meeting the developmental needs of five-year-olds. NAEYC and child
development specialists have been concerned over recent trends that have led many
kindergarten programs toward a “pushed down” first-grade curriculum.
Some kindergartens are privately owned. Many are offered at child care centers as
an alternative to the school program. Some school districts do not offer kindergarten
at all. Kindergartens will be covered by state licensing requirements that may differ
from those regulating child care for younger children.
Varying Philosophical Approaches
People do not always agree on what is best for children. Over the years, many
have tried to find the perfect way to help children grow and learn. Varying ideas about
children and how to help them have led to a number of different philosophies you
might find in programs today. A program’s philosophy is important because it affects
• the mission and goals of the program
• the role of the teacher in the classroom
2-12 Many college students learn how to be
teachers of young children in laboratory child
care centers.