Chapter 2 Types of Early Childhood Programs 67
Summary Summary
Many types of early childhood
programs are available. These
include family child care homes,
child care centers, Montessori
schools sc ho ol s, H H ead ea d Start St ar t, k k indergartens, in de rg ar te ns
school-age child care programs,
parent cooperatives, laboratory
schools, and high school child care
programs. Each type of program
takes a unique approach to meeting
children’s ch il dr en s d d evelopmental ev el op me nt al n n eeds. ee ds
Programs may be sponsored
in a variety of ways. The type of
sponsorship may affect goals and
philosophies. Programs may be
publicly or privately funded. Child care
corporations p can be privately p y or publicly p y
held. Employer-sponsored programs
are designed to reduce some of the
burdens of early care and education for
working parents. Employers are using a
variety of ways to provide these benefits fi
for their employees.
With the variety of child care
programs available, families consider
many factors in choosing the best
program for their child. Some of the
factors fa ct or s that th at f f amilies am il ie s consider co ns id er i i nclude nc lu de
the type of program, quality of program
and staff, adult-child ratio, group size,
and condition of facilities. As a teacher,
you will need to know what families
look for in a program. Then you can
strive st ri ve t t o o make ma ke y y our ou r program pr og ra m one on e that th at
families choose for their children.
Families may look for programs
that have been accredited by NAEYC.
Accreditation certifies that a program fi
meets a specific set of standards. fi
Obtaining g accreditation involves
participation in a self-study, which is
designed as an evaluation tool. Center
directors, staff, and parents participate
in this process. Public recognition of a
high level of excellence is one of the
main benefits of achieving accreditation. fi