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With the rise of both parents working in the family,
the need for day care centers is a major concern. Obtaining a good day
care center that offers first rate care and service for children under
the age of five is now on the list of busy parent’s priorities. Due to
the increasing need for such kind of services, the industry of a day
care center has been booming in the last decade.
There are different kinds of arrangements for day care services. Child
care needs could be met in several ways. In-house child care, child care
center care, or care in a provider’s house is the most common we can see
today. Not only toddlers or preschoolers are catered by day care
centers. Older children may also receive these services usually through
a program called a before-and after- school care service.
In general, the day care service industry can be categorized into two
main types. Preschools, Head Start Centers, and Child Care Centers are
known as the Center-based care. They are usually more formal than the
Family child care category in the sense of the location where the
children are cared for. Center-based care centers usually have their own
establishments or buildings used only for the specific purpose of a care
center. On the other hand, family child care providers can provide care
for the kids in the comfort of a home.
Aside from the center-based care and family child care categories, the
day care center industry can also be categorized as either “For-profit”
or “Nonprofit”. The for-profit day care industries are centers that
independently operate or could also be a part of a local company. On the
other side of the coin, Nonprofit organizations are usually religious
instructions providing services for free or sometimes at a very minimal
amount or a donation. Examples of nonprofit day care centers are YMCA,
YWCA, social centers, colleges, public schools, government institutions,
worksites, and social service agencies. The Head Start, a federally
funded child care program designed for less privileged children is
another example of the nonprofit category. Head Start programs provide
both social and educational services; and for some, health services as
well. For some employers, usually big companies, they offer child care
benefits to employees who have kids. This idea came after the
recognition that sometimes, the unmet need for a day care service could
be a barrier to the employment of qualified parent employees. Some of
these employers opt to having a day care service right in the workplace,
or near it. Others simply provide financial assistance for parents to
get their kids to a good day care center. Other option employers cling
to are discounts and vouchers for child day care centers that they
recommend or are in business with. Still others offer their employees
dependent-care option plans which are flexible.
The day care center business, no matter what kind of service they offer,
has rapidly increased to meet the needs for child care services and the
want for home based jobs. It is one of the world’s most increasing
industry and known to be profitable as well.  |
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