Amber Higgins

6120 Southwell Lane, League City, TX 77573

November 7th, 2018

Dr. Donnetta Suchon

Dear Dr. Donnetta Suchon:

With this letter I am enclosing the report I have prepared on the physical and economic issues pertaining
with daycare facilities, which you requested I submit to you in early November. The report argues and
promotes the use of alternative forms of childcare in order to meet the needs of families in the area.

Large businesses such as daycare facilities have so much to manage throughout any given day, that the
priority of the children no longer is placed first. Children’s safety is to top priority for any parent and for
facilities to manage employees, schedules, money, and much more to their list of responsibilities, it
leaves a large margin for errors to occur.

This report will discuss families’ opinions in the areas of League City and Friendswood, TX and how these
families view the use of daycare based on physical appeal and economic variables. It will go more in
depth into what alternative forms of childcare look like and the benefits that these choices can have for
families. Interviews and surveys will be analyzed to back up the research.

I hope you find this report helpful in choosing which form of childcare works best and promoting those
options to the families in your area. If you have any questions or want to discuss any recommendations,
feel free to call me or email me. I look forward to receiving your suggestions.

Sincerely,

Amber Higgins

Enclosure: Report
 Investigation on the Disadvantages of Daycare
Facilities and Promotion to Consider Alternatives

Amber Nickole Higgins

Prepared For
Dr. Donnetta Suchon
Instructor

November 7th, 2018

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 Table of Contents
List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . 3
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . 5
Global Overview . . . . . . . . . 5
Background . . . . . . . . . . 5
Problem . . . . . . . . . . 6
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . 6
Scope . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Methods of Research . . . . . . . . . 7

Discussion . . . . . . . . . . 7
Source Analysis . . . . . . . . . 7
Physical Issues . . . . . . . . 7
Economic Issues . . . . . . . . 9
Interview . . . . . . . . . . 9
Conclusion/Recommendations . . . . . . 10
Works Cited . . . . . . . . . 12
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . 13
Interview Questions . . . . . . . . . 13
Survey Results . . . . . . . . . 14

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 List of Illustrations
Figure 1 What do parents Most prefer from their current childcare? . . 8
Figure 2 How Much do Parents Budget Weekly for Childcare? . . 9
Figure 3 What can Daycare Services do to Improve? . . . 11

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 Abstract
This purpose of this report is to identify the physical and economic disadvantages in the
daycare industry. The document informs readers of the way’s daycares struggle to care for
the needs of every child and promotes alternative ways that parents can receive childcare.
These alternatives show benefits that daycare facilities lack and recommend those options
to readers. The report backs up their claims with many scholarly sources, personal
interview questions, and survey of parents in the local League City area. The importance of
this information is to benefit parents’ finances, support the best safety for children, and
overall, find the best form of childcare suited for each individual family. The document
gives and inside scoop of how parents view daycares and allows parents to make a
judgement call of which childcare is best. It is concluded with recommendations of how
daycares can improve their businesses and potentially gain more clients, as well as
encouraging alternative forms of childcare such as at home sitters.

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 Introduction
Global Overview
While the use of free and appropriate childcare is granted to all children in public schools,
parents who have children that aren’t eligible for public school must pay for childcare
services. Precautions are placed in public schools around the world to maintain the safety
of all students, yet the media does not make light of the lack of safety in daycare facilities.
Parents are spending large amounts of their monthly budget to have their children watched
under the age of five. Government even allows for a financial aid process so that parents
can afford childcare in order to go to work daily. The expenses are almost not worth the
product when parents hear of the horrific stories all over news stations of children being
drugged or worse, killed, because employees are not trained properly or lack experience.
Daycare facilities maintain their desirable status because they are a necessity to parents.
Without them, parents would be unable to work. However, it is not discussed that there are
alternative options to a daycare. Choices such as an at home service, nanny, or even
everyday babysitter are simple solutions to keep children safe, happy, and entertained
while the adults go to work. These options even include added benefits, such as
affordability, flexible hours, and employees hired specifically by the parents to avoid any
conflicts.
This report will discuss the physical and economical difficulties associated with daycare
services nationwide and promote readers to consider alternative forms of childcare.

Background
One of the biggest concerns the media broadcasts today involves the safety of
children in educational facilities nationwide. It is rarely brought to the media’s attention
the concerns of safety in early education and daycare facilities. Just recently reported was
the death of a 3-month old baby in the League City area at a local daycare (Hensley, n.p.).
The story did not stay in the media spotlight for long; however, parents need to be
informed of the safety concerns that daycare facilities incite. As a previous employee to a
local daycare, I experienced many concerns while working at the facility. In the year I
worked there, three children broke an arm, two outbreaks of hand foot and mouth disease
spread through the classrooms, and one child even experienced an open head injury,
requiring and hospitalization for a few nights.
Putting safety aside, these daycare facilities also require a large amount of money to
be invested at the parents’ expense. Recently posted article “Child Care Costs take a Big
Toll” states, “88% (of parents) say the financial burden of high child care costs takes a toll.
Around 81% reckon they are held to ransom by exorbitant child care costs” (Hely 54). My
boss alone budgets at least $500 a week to pay for daycare services (Nail Interview). For
parents to be paying this much money to watch their precious children, one should expect
better services, licensed or well-trained employees, and at least an endorsement of safety
for children overall.

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 Parents, who are a part of the working world and/or require childcare services,
deserve to be informed of the physical and economical complications of daycare facilities.
This report will address these issues in the childcare industry as well as assist in solving
this drawback with information on alternative forms of childcare.

Problem
Childcare businesses and the industry as a whole have flourished over the past
decade. With an absence of competition, daycare facilities, regardless of the company name,
all offer the same services. These companies have managed to get away with doing too
much or not enough to support the well being of every child under their care. The average
parents have neglected the idea of nanny/at home education care due to the stereotype
that the services cost more, or don’t offer enough, or worse, parents failed to research the
idea all together. This report will explore these stereotypes to reopen the doors to parents
that childcare options (other than a daycare) are worth looking into. For a fair price, every
parent wants the best for their child, and sometimes, daycare services struggle to provide
both low cost and quality care together.

Purpose
The purpose of this document is to help parents better understand the different factors
that go into deciding which form of childcare works best for their family, and the benefits of
choosing an alternative form of childcare over putting children into a daycare facility.
Answers were sought to the following questions concerning the childcare industry:
1. Which childcare option is the most economical?
2. What is the parents’ idea of quality childcare?
3. Which option of childcare is the most convenient?
4. What is the parent’s preference?
5. What are the pros and cons of a daycare facility?
6. What are ways daycare services can improve?
7. How are other forms of childcare besides daycare good options?

Scope

This report explores a plethora of parents in the local area and their ideas and
beliefs to the daycare industry. Many of them are active members who enroll their children
in daycare facilities year-round and have chosen to participate in the data collection of this
report. This creates results that are specific to the south east side of Houston and the
families that live there. Results may vary depending on variables such as location and
average family income.

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Methods of Research
I have narrowed down my research to concentrate specifically on issues dealing
with finances, security, convenience, and overall preference of parents who pay for the
service of daycare/childcare. The documents listed on the references page (13) can be
found through the university library, online databases, and present news feed.
Original research includes an interview, personal experience documented in a news
article, and survey data from parents in the local area. My boss, Melinda Nail, has two
children and has experienced both daycare services and alternative forms of childcare.
Both her and her husband are working parents and answered questions regarding their
preferences. My personal experience working in a local daycare, along with a news article
from the daycare I was previously employed with, are also present throughout the
document. Thirdly, a survey was conducted over the time span of a week elaborating on the
average number of families who use daycare services in the league city area. The survey
goes in depth about the childcare industry asking parents what daycare facilities could do
to improve.

Discussion
Source Analysis
Physical Issues
Many resources and articles all argue about the many disadvantages that daycare
services have accumulated over the years. Studies have been completed to determine just
how much parents lack. The daycare industry has managed to get many families signed onto
a plan without properly educating them on the contracts and information the facilities
practice. The article titled, “The Gap: Parental knowledge about daycare, Early Child
Development and Care,” conducted interviews on parents that assessed their knowledge in
structural and procedural issues found in their local daycares. They assessed different
parents between 5 local daycares. The results were as follows:
“On average, parents answered correctly only 45% of the questions, while 29% of
questions received incorrect answers and 20% received “I don’t know” replies. An
examination of “I don’t know” response rates revealed that parents confessed a lack
of knowledge primarily regarding the number of injuries at the center (81%), the
center’s license-granting agency (62.2%), as well as caregiver education and turnover
rates (46%, respectively). In addition, roughly a third of parents reported not
knowing whether criminal background checks were required in the hiring of
caregivers and whether caregivers in the center had emergency training.” (Shpancer,
et al., 7)
The article shows, even in other areas of the nation, daycare facilities do not educate
their parents about the procedures their companies must follow. The information parents
did not know is important to note when assessing their child’s safety at the schools. To make

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matters worse, parents were seemingly brainwashed to think that their facility was better
than the others around them. The authors polled the parent’s reviews on the daycares they
were in and results indicated that:
“Even though parents’ professed lack of knowledge about daycare, it did not prevent
them from rating their center as high in quality (M = 4.13 on a 5- point scale).
Moreover, parents systematically rated their own center significantly higher in
quality than the statewide daycare system (M = 3.07; t = 6.58, p < .001)” (Shpancer,
et al., 7).
Parents had perceived this “false uniqueness” about their facility by believing theirs
was higher quality than the others around it. This made parents feel more comfortable with
their choices and explains why they didn’t feel the need to know important background
about the facilities.

FIGURE 1
WHAT DO PARENTS MOST PREFER FROM
THEIR CURRENT CHILDCARE?

Other 7
ANSWER CHOICES

Location 7
Fair Cost 3
Great Education for Children 5
Responsible and Respectful employees 7
Flexible and Easygoing Staff 1
Children are Safe 46
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
NUMBER OF RESPONSES

Responses out of 76

Source: Higgins, Amber. “Childcare Questionnaire.” Survey. Survey Monkey, 27 Oct. 2018

Other sources show more proof that a child’s safety is in question when at a daycare
facility. Employees, who were background checked by the company when hired, can still
commit crimes on innocent children. Jennifer Calfas wrote an article discussing several
everyday employees being caught breaking the law. She states, “The three employees at the
Des Plaines, Illinois-based Kiddie Junction day care were charged with two counts of
endangering the life or health of a child and two counts of battery each, according to the
Chicago Tribune” (Calfas, 1). I personally conducted a survey with parents around the
League City area that showed the majority of participants (60.43%) all desired and preferred
that their children be safe over any of the other choices listed (Figure 1).

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 Figure 2
How Much do Parents Budget Weekly for Childcare?
Number of responses out of Percentage of Participants
Answer Choices
76 participants who answered each choice
Less than 100 28 37.84%
100-200 18 24.32%
200-300 13 17.57%
300-400 8 10.81%
400-500 2 2.70%
500+ 5 6.76%
Source: Higgins, Amber. “Childcare Questionnaire.” Survey. Survey Monkey, 27 Oct. 2018

Economic Issues
Not only do daycares lack the physical resources to provide the best safety for
children, they are also difficult to pay for. Articles discuss the issues that come with paying
for daycare services and the toll it takes on low income families. The government has offered
programs that some facilities participate in to help receive financial aid for daycare services.
In figure 2 above, my survey asked parents about how much they budget weekly for daycare
service. Many responses came back with less than 100 dollars a week, however through
further investigation, the survey was found skewed due to the majority of participants being
stay at home parents. Parents today cannot afford such high costing services, so they opt out
all together by having one parent stay home to watch the children. Although interestingly,
the survey did find that 37.84% of all 76 participants do budget at least 200 dollars, or more,
weekly, which is equal data to that of families who have stay at home parents. If that many
families are spending at least 200 dollars a week, a large part of their budget is going to
childcare services that may not be the best option for their family. For 200 dollars families
can budget two weeks’ worth of groceries, gas for at least two months, or even a simple
vacation away. Susan Hely writes, “Not surprisingly, 60% of parents have taken on extra
hours and 41% have picked up additional work or jobs to ease the financial burden, says
Tania Bradley, a spokesperson for Real Insurance” (54). Her document studied the financial
toll that childcare places on new families and the percentages of parents who struggle to
afford daycare altogether.
Interview
My current boss, Melinda Nail, shares her personal experiences with daycare services
vs that of a nanny. Her children have experienced both forms of childcare services, and her
opinion offers an inside scoop to the advantages of alternative forms. When discussing the
pros and cons of daycare services over an at home educator she writes,
“The cons of daycare are the attention of 1 or 2 teachers being spread among a larger
class of children. Around 18 months to 2 years of age, there is a biting stage that either

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 you as the parent worries about because your child is the biter or worry that your
child is getting bit repeatedly. Recurring illness can be a con as well, but I do try my
best to keep my children as healthy as possible.” (Nail Interview)
She shares her personal worries over her child’s safety in an environment that cannot
provide enough adult supervision. Daycares struggle to keep incidents from happening
because of the large ratio of children to adults. The different developmental stages in
daycares always require a different number of teachers to be present. This is often difficult
for some facilities because teachers will call in sick, or there is often a large turnover rate in
that job field. Furthermore, educators often lack experience and the proper education to
teach children. Employees do not need higher education degrees or even additional training
to be qualified to teach in daycare facilities. This often worries parents if they are reliable
adults to watch their prized possessions.

Conclusion/Recommendations
The use of alternative forms of childcare better suits many family dynamics. Parents
don’t realize the benefit that at home nanny’s or babysitters have on children under the age
of five. Parents, like Melinda Nail, who have experienced both options, preferred the at home
educator over a daycare by stating “Individual attention to the children is a pro. It can be more
specific to the parents’ disciplinary choices and work closely with the parents to correct any issues
that may arise. While I work at home, I can see the milestones first hand or catch a quick hug or
kiss from my children, rather than not seeing them throughout the entire day” (Nail Interview).
Children are less likely to get sick when staying in an environment they know.
Alternative forms of childcare can also be beneficial to a parents’ wallet. Payment is
flexible depending on who you hire, and children get more one-on-one time, making the service
worth the pay. Within the survey I conducted, parents had the option to provide some ways
daycare services can improve to make them more worth their payment (Figure 3). The
survey showed that since parents desired their children be safe most of all, it was obvious
that they wanted the safety of the facilities to be improved. What was most surprising was
seeing most parents desired employees be more educated or get more experience before
handling or teaching their children. After working in a daycare and having to teach some of
my colleagues what to do in certain situations, I would agree that employees should seek
outside training or service hours to be more educated on their occupation. Other options
parents suggested in the survey were healthier facilities, broader food menus, and cleaner
classrooms.

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Source: Higgins, Amber. “Childcare Questionnaire.” Survey. Survey Monkey, 27 Oct. 2018

Overall, daycare facilities have a lot to offer, however, they lack the ability to meet
the needs of every child. Parents need to find what is best for their family dynamic.
Nevertheless, there are many things that daycare facilities could do to improve to better
the lives of parents and children nationwide. Either lowering the cost to better fit what
parents are currently receiving or have daycares improve the facilities with qualified
employees, innovative new services, or better student to teacher ratios in order to
guarantee every child is accounted for. Alternative sources for childcare can benefit family
dynamics with cheaper costs, safer environments, flexible hours, and closer connection
between the teacher and child. Nationally, if facilities can make improvements or lower
their budget, the childcare industry could see a huge increase in clients wanting to sign
plans with them. Hopefully this report will inform not only parents, but businesses in the
daycare field as well. This report could expand the industry of childcare nationally if these
improvements could be made or even attempted. Parents just want what is best for their
children, so finding the best form of childcare is a difficult process. It just depends on the
demands that each family wishes when considering which path they want to take.

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 Works Cited
Abrassart, Aurelien, and Giuliano Bonoli. "Availability, Cost or Culture? Obstacles to
Childcare Services for Low-Income Families." Journal of Social Policy, vol. 44, no. 4,
2015, pp. 787.

Breitfelder, Leisa M. "Quick and Easy Adaptations and Accommodations for Early
Childhood Students." TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, vol. 4, no. 5, 01 May
2008. EBSCOhost

Calfas, Jennifer. "Daycare Workers Arrested for Allegedly Giving Kids Melatonin-Laced
Gummies." Time.Com, 05 Mar. 2018, p. 1. EBSCOhost.

FitzGerald, Susan. “Study: Kindergarteners after Day Care Are Aggressive, Disobedient.”
Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA). EBSCOhost. N.d.

Hely, Susan. "Child Care Costs Take a Big Toll." Money (Australia Edition), no. 214, Aug.
2018, p. 54. EBSCOhost.

Hensley, Nicole. "3-month-old Baby Dies at League City Child Care Facility." Houston
Chronicle. Houston Chronicle, 01 Sept. 2018. Web. 10 Sept. 2018.

Higgins, Amber. “Childcare Questionnaire.” Survey. Survey Monkey, 27 Oct. 2018.

Milligan, Amanda. "Serious Risks Present in Centers." Business Insurance, vol. 33, no. 11, 15
Mar. 1999, p. 50. EBSCOhost.

Nail, Melinda. "Childcare Proposal Interview." E-mail interview. 9 Sept. 2018.

Paskin, Janet. "How to Kick the High Cost of Child Care." Money, vol. 35, no. 5, May 2006, p.
48B. EBSCOhost.

Shpancer Noam, Jessica Bowden, Melanie Ferrell, Stacy Pavlik, Morgan Robinson, Jennifer
Schwind, Erica Volpe, Laurie Williams & Jessica Young. “The Gap: Parental
knowledge about daycare, Early Child Development and Care.” (2002)

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 Appendix
Interview Questions
1. How many children do you have and how old are they?
2. What is your idea of quality child care?
3. What types of tasks/actions do you ask of the employee when around your children?
4. How much are you willing to spend on child care services?
5. Have your children been enrolled in a daycare before?
6. Did you pay more for a daycare service over an at home nanny?
7. In your opinion, what are the pros of enrolling your children in a daycare?
a. Cons?
8. In your opinion, what are the pros of having an at home nanny?
a. Cons?
9. Do you prefer daycare services over a nanny? Why or why not?

Summary Tabulation
See page 15

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