What Are the Benefits of Having Child Care Centers at Universities?
University-run child care centers --- intended for children between the ages of six weeks and 5 or more years --- are often in high demand and have long wait lists for parents wishing to enroll their children. If you want to understand the popularity of university day care programs, you need to first look at the benefits to child care centers at universities: benefits for children, their parents and for other students at the school.
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Developmental Benefits
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University child care centers benefit young children, first and foremost, by offering them a comprehensive educational experience surrounded by their peers and led by dedicated professionals. The early stages of a child's development are crucial, and kids can benefit in learning and socialization from attending a child care center. Self-motivated or individually tailored programs, according to Vanderbilt University's Child Care Center, can also help children build self-esteem and develop their problem solving skills.
Lowered Costs
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For university workers and students, one key advantage of a university-operated child care center is that it is frequently subsidized to some degree by the school, resulting in lowered costs for what would ordinarily be a very expensive decision. This increases options for parents, permitting them to send their children to daycare when they might otherwise have lacked the resources to do so.
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Ease of Access
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Perhaps even more important than cost for parents, the great advantage of a university child care center is that it is extremely convenient. By being located on campus, it removes the need to travel extensively and ensures that, in the event of difficulty or in case the child needs to be picked up quickly, the parents are always close at hand. It also allows parents to visit their children during the day easily; for example, a university employee can easily join his or her child for lunch during the day.
Internships and Learning Experiences
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Beyond the benefits for parents and kids, a university child care center can also benefit university students by offering internships or other learning opportunities. Future child care professionals can observe or even volunteer, gaining valuable experience for a career in child development or child care. For students, a child care center internship can also fulfill degree requirements, when real-world experience is required as part of a child care or development degree program.
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Resources
- Photo Credit little preschooler image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
