Childcare past, present, and future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Childcare past, present, and future - Essay Example This task explores childcare in the past present and future. The role of women and the family structure have shifted significantly in the past two decades. Currently, over fifty percent of mothers with preschool offspring are employed outside their homes while a majority of these women are single parents. Thus, many parents rely on their non family members to provide the needed childcare supports while they are working. All through history, families engaged the services of friends or non family members to watch over their kids. In US, child care movement emanated from the reform and welfare movements of the 19th century (Berenbeim 112). Day care was informed by the need to care for working class and immigrant children while their impoverished parents worked. The present day care centers evolved from day nurseries that began early in 1840s in Boston. The early childcare facilities including nurseries cared for children of widows of merchant and working wives who were disadvantaged and economically deprived group in community (Bridgman 89). Settlement facilities were established in an effort to promote care for immigrant siblings. Child care was founded as a communal service to alleviate the child care challenges of parents who had to labor and to prevent children from wandering the streets (Bridgman 56). Child care is a subject of significant public interest for various reasons (Childrens Defense Fund 2). The dramatic rise in the participation of the labor force by mothers is the key factor affecting the demand for care. Presently, majority of US families with children have the mothers, in the salaried labor force. Correspondingly, trend affecting the need for child care is the fraction of mothers who are the primary sole financial supporter of their kids either because of separation, divorce or they never married. Additionally,