58 Part One The Children and You
programs for children, their primary
purpose is to support practical
experiences for future teachers
and to serve as a study group for
research. Most of these schools
have a highly qualified staff, a fi
well-planned curriculum, up-to-date
facilities, and excellent equipment.
High School Child
Care Programs
In the last two decades, many
high schools have started providing
vocational training for child care
occupations. Like the laboratory
schools, these programs train future
child care professionals. Many high
schools have their own child care
laboratory facilities where students
can work with preschool children.
The preschool program may operate
two or three days a week. Preschool
children of high school students,
faculty, and community members
usually attend the program.
The high school students plan
and present the curriculum under the
supervision of a teacher who has a
degree in early childhood education.
Some high school students may
observe the children while others
work directly with the children. The
following week, the students who
observed the preceding week then
work with the preschoolers while the
other students observe them.
Sponsorship of
Early Childhood
Centers
Early childhood centers can
be grouped based on sponsorship.
Basically, there are three kinds of
sponsorship: public, private, and
employer-sponsored centers.
Public Sponsorship
Publicly sponsored programs are
funded by federal, state, or local
governments. Some of these funds
come through school districts. Other
funds may come through social
service agencies.
An example of a publicly
sponsored program is Head
Start. Most parents pay no fee for
their child to attend Head Start.
However, a fee is required if
their income exceeds the federal
guidelines for the program. Most
of the expenses for the program are
covered through grants received
from the federal government.
Funding is usually provided on an
annual basis.
State funds may help support
programs designed for educational
purposes. These programs may
be housed in a university, college,
secondary school, or vocational
school. Examples include child
care centers, preschool centers,
laboratory schools, and high school
child care programs.
Publicly funded child care
centers, preschools, and laboratory
programs may receive several
forms of fi nancial support in fi
addition to parental fees. For
instance, a publicly funded child
care center may also receive funds
from the United Way, community
donations, and tuition. Likewise,
a laboratory school on a college
campus may receive tuition
donations or scholarships through
alumni groups.