Factors Influencing the Quality of Childcare in relations to a Child’s Development
per Marshall (2004), identify and explain what exo-system and macro-system factors affect access to child care? Discuss what members of the population are most impacted by these factors and what implications may be able to be put into place for intervention.
Over the years, there have been immense changes in the quality of children and child care and its influence on the children’s development. The change in workforce demographics has seen the child care shift to child care settings. The centers, the exo-system, macrosystem, and the mesosystem are the contributory forces of the factors that affect child care access. This has led to the immense suffering of the marginalized members of the population that cannot afford higher quality care facilities for the children (Marshall, 2004). This paper discusses the impacts of these factors and their implication on a child’s development and impacts on the vulnerable populace. At the same time, highlight the interventions that can be put in place to change the situation.
According to Marshall, children’s development is a very imperative step in a child’s life. However, over the years, the have been factors influencing the child’S development and care. The figure has shifted from 24% as of 1970 to 57% in the 21st century. These factors include the exo-system, which is influenced by the child’s parental employment concerning how much time they spend with their children, the government policies, and how well they regulate child care (Marshall, 2004). Notably, the mesosystem describes the family structure and how it relates to the child care system. Firstly, one of the factors that affect early child care quality and development is the drastic increase in young parents in the workforce today. As a result of their commitments, parents are compelled to leave their children under a child care setting arrangement whereby the hold is under the care of a different porting for the greater portion of the day. These can be home-based care, center-based, and in most cases home sitter arrangements where the parents hire a nanny. Through this arrangement, the children are cared for in different manners (Marshall, 2004).
Secondly, the inequality in the distribution of quality care. It ranges from the sensitivity of care f givers, the warmth towards the children at the care settings, and their emotional tones. Furthermore, children’s activities in these centers influence their development in essence g for care centers with learning activities givens a greater chance to children to grow. Based on research, Marshal establishes that children born to low-income families are likely to be put on lower quality felicities, which will indolence their child’s cognitive development (Marshall, 2004). The parent’s job determines their ability to determine the type of facility they take their children, the lack, and the kind of care received. This influence is based on the macro-system in these cases, the care system. Notably, the ecosystem, the interaction bet the system and the center, leads to indirect influence that infuses the child’s levels of care.
The quality of early child care influences their future developments. According to Marshall, she recommends the importance of nurturing good quality care for children as it fosters their development. He recommends funding of child care services to facilitate their access to high-quality care. Good quality care enhances a child’s cognitive competence, improved language development, and better language development, which plays an essential role in shaping thier future. Additionally, the improvement in the quality of early child care can be achieved their increased parental employment to foster economic sufficiency and, in turn, support the healthy development of children (Marshall, 2004).
References
Marshall, N. L. (2004). The quality of early child care and children’s development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(4), 165-168.
