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University Daily Kansan, January 25, 1982
Working mothers depend on dav care centers
By CYNTHIA HRENCHIR Staff Writer
Staff Writer
As the percentage of women in the work force increases, the need for a relatively new service, day care centers grows.
According to the Handbook of Basic Economic Statistics, 42.6 million women were employed October 1981. This included women from single-headed households, two-income families, and single-parent families.
Lawrence supports 12 day care centers and preschools, Jay Weidenkler, director of the Douglas County Child Development Association said, plus approximately 60 homes that care for children called child providers.
Lawrence has three types of child care: private schools, public schools that receive some type of government support in a home environment of child providers.
Creative World School, Head Start Children's Community Center, and child providers are examples of what care is available. WORLD
It was time for lunch at Creative World School. The children in Kelly Pratt's classroom were busy washing the dishes for the day, prepared to set the table.
"Plates around first, then the nankins." Reed said.
Creative World is part of a national chain of care centers. The centers are located in various states, including California, Missouri and Nebraska, with several regional offices. Pratt's regional office is in Kansas City, Mo.
Creative World, located at 2401 West 25th, was part of an apartment building. Two apartments were joined and converted into four classrooms.
Pratt has two duties at the school. She serves as director and teaches one of the classes.
*The youngest, 2½ to 3-years, old to 3-¾-years-old, 4-and 5-years-old, and the oldest, 5-and 6-year-old, and the oldest, 6-and 7-years-old.*
in the object a third year ago
"There is one teacher with each age group, creating on the average a nine-to-one ratio."
CERTIFICATIONS of training in child development are required for the three other teachers at Creative World.
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Pratt has a degree in elementary education.
The school is under Kansas regulations. State law requires that each child entering the school have a physical. The school is subject to an annual state inspection at any time for renewal of its license.
"They check everything. It's an overall inspection," she said. "They sit in on classes, check the cleanliness of school. There is no warning."
Creative World is a private school and has received no federal aid, something Pratt is grateful for now.
"I'm glad we didn't," she said. "As it is, we are supported entirely from tuition."
There are 50 children enrolled in Creative World's preschool program which listens from 9 to 11.30 a.m. every day. Of these, 36 are there for the full day.
TO ATTEND the school fulltime,
including the preschool meals and
the day care, tuition is $4 a day
(it costs $10 a day) it is $6 a
day, and $10 a day for part-time care.
"The program puts them around other children. It's the social aspect that's important" she said. "Many of them are in activities." This puts them with others in activities.
The social aspect is one of the main needs a center like Creative World fills, Pratt said. But she added there was another need that Ms. Bouchard brought their children to the school.
Pratt explained that half of the parents who brought their children to ner center did not work. These bring their children in only for the preschool.
"Parents feel pressures," she said.
"Kids have to know this; they have to be able to say their alphabets. They feel pressured to learn." Not academically, then something else."
SHE COULDN'T say what effect this would have on the child.
"Some are hit hard," Pratt said. "Not all children are ready for the same things at the same time. It might be better to enjoy the things a child should learn."
The 2 1/2-year-olds are the youngest admitted.
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"They take some time to adjust to their new environment," she said.
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Pratt spent one year as a teacher in an elementary school. She said she students with teaching degrees turned to day care centers as a job alternative.
"We usually have between 25 and 30 volunteers. The KU schedule affects us a lot—some can only work for us at a certain time."
The Head Start program came to Lawrence in February 1966. It was the first Head Start program west of the Mississippi. The Plymouth Congregational Church thought the community needed a dedicated space to set it up, Freitag said. The center is still in the church's ball.
Fretag explained that KU students have composed 95 percent of her volunteer staff in the five years since the center began recruiting on campus.
PROJECT HEAD START is a federally funded program that began in 1964. Its aim is to help disadvantaged children of low-income families overcome the handicaps of health problems and a lack of self-confidence they might encounter when entering school for the first time.
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There are four main goals in Head Start: education, improving health care (medical, nutritional and mental), making available social services and keeping the parents involved in the child's development.
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"I have known a lot that have," she said. "Job security is hard in the public system."
"We have had 15 calls since Friday," she said, getting out pamphlets and forms for the applicants to fill out.
HEAD START CHILDREN'S CENTER
Charline Freitag, director of the center, was busy Tuesday. She was responding to a new response to an ad asking for volunteers.
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PROBLEMS FOR the parents and the center will increase April 1983. Then the Center probably will become like a program because of cutbacks planned.
She explained that this program made it possible for the parents to afford the cut, care centers, but with the cut, many are searching for alternatives.
we are fighting it," the director said, "But unless we receive community support, we'll go to back to a regular schedule."
"They appreciate us more. They know there is nowhere else to go."
The program is limited to low-income families. They pay no fee for the child's
"But now to get this, a person has to be a single working parent."
Teachers at the Center are required to have a certificate from the Child Development Association, which requires training in child development and in handling developmental problems of preschool children.
"Title XX was a program where scholarships were given to low or middle-income families to pay for child care. Before, students and parents had low incomes and both parents working were eligible," Freeding said.
The program had a rocky start in Lawrence, Frettag said.
There is a long waiting list of people the center can't serve. And that list may grow because of federal cutbacks on two programs that other child care centers depend on heavily, federal Title I state Social Rehabilitation Services.
Some cuts have already appeared. The center's car pool exists no longer.
and the meal and snack program has been hurt.
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ATTORNEY
The food program either gets the provider's the food or gives them a plowboat.
THE ASSOCIATION also is required to train and do paper work for the program. Weidenkellner said he has tried to help in other ways as well.
"Kansas has the Department of Education run our food program where we train the instructors and give nutritional education."
"We used to get help from the national program when buying large equipment," Frettag said. "They would pay 75 percent, and we would pay 25. Not bad if you wanted something like a dishwasher. But that's too, too."
"Beth is $3\frac{1}{2}$ years-old and up until
Beth is in a home environment with a woman who had
several other children." Combes said.
CHILD PROVIDERS
"We have a toy and book lend library we take around to providers," he said. "We don't need books."
"Most of them go through the licensing procedure and then start their work."
But this year Beth is enrolled in the Educare Program at the University.
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Child providers are the main source of child care in Lawrence, serving more than 90 percent of the children cared for.
where parents decide to take their children seems to depend on what they wish the child to get out of the time spent away from home. Hannes Lawrence residence and KU secretary, had her child in two different environments.
The Douglas County Child Development Association works with these individuals very closely, Weiden Keller, director of the association, said.
academic material providers can't afford to buy or don't. *e*
"The centers are very expensive tg operate," Weidenkeller said. "The parents can't afford to pay much money." 55
"It seems that kids have to be able to read and write already when they get into school." Combert said. "She has worked on this now."
"Beth has an older brother and sister; her sister is 18 and her brother is 14. I felt Beth needed to be with kids her own age."
THE CHILD provider's biggest assoc is their low price.
While Comble best she thought Beth got some instruction in the home, she said her daughter was happiest in the Educare program.
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