When my colleagues and I were discussing how to get good information to all those who are affected by child care, we dreamed of a one stop location full of information for parents, teachers, and child care administrators. A place where they could meet, discuss and understand each other. A place with debunked, useful information and strategies you can actually try to help you overcome your struggles. Child Care Today was born. My personal vision for the website and I hope my colleagues would agree, is based upon the following cornerstones:

Knowing is half the battle.
Yes, I stole this one from GI Joe, but it’s a good motto anyway. When I put my child in day care all my years of experience working with children and working with child care professionals did not matter a lick. I needed information and support, just like every other parent. I looked everywhere; friends, colleagues, the internet. Although half of the info I received was sifted out, I found valuable nuggets. Every tidbit of information I find, whether it is from experts or from other parents’ experiences, helps me to know more to fuel my HMP habit.

It all comes from love.
We (teachers and caregivers) know you love your child and all your questions, research and… nagging come from there. But we want you to know that your love is shared. You may think that your child’s caregivers are just there for the money. Trust me, they’re not. Child care professionals are one of the lowest paid workforces in our society today. They are there because they love children. And the ones who don’t love children don’t last the day. It is hard, loud, emotionally draining work and those who return every day with a fresh face are there because they love your child. So try to keep your HMP habits to a minimum and give them a break.
           
So now that I have joined the ranks of the HMP’s with my concerns about BPA and refusal to use blankets or bumper pads to lower the risk of SIDS, I say HMP’s and caregivers unite! My colleagues and I would like you to navigate the world of child care by sharing what we have learned as parents and child care professionals, and we hope to get an equal amount of information from you.

Happy Reading!

Daralyn Scroggins is the editor of ChildCareToday.com. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Additionally, Daralyn has over 12 years of experience working in education and the care of young children, encompassing preschool, the public school classroom and the development and training of early childhood caregivers and teachers. Daralyn was a member of the development team for the Fun With Phonics curriculum, an interactive emergent reading curriculum for preschool and kindergarten age children.
To contact her, email dscroggins@childcaretoday.org

by Daralyn Scroggins
dscroggins@childcaretoday.org

Why Child Care Today?

As a teacher and consultant for child care professionals, I have always been the fun aunt; the one who gives the kids pudding to smear around on their high chairs and supplies for science experiments involving exploding soda bottles. So when I was visiting my brother’s family recently, I was actually mortified as my sister-in-law delicately explained to my brother that we couldn’t use the girls’ old bottles because we are concerned about BPA (Bisphenol A).
You may ask why I would be mortified; after all, concern for what goes into my child’s body is a good thing. But as I listened to her try to explain without offending (and looked at my brother smirking from across the room) I was reminded of a term I and my colleagues often used when I was a classroom teacher – HMP (High Maintenance Parent).
You know them. They have special requests at every gathering and refuse your old baby donations because we “know more now than we used to.” Yup; I’m one of them. And I’d like to hide when I’m revealed because I know what others are thinking. I used to think it myself when a mother would ask me to make sure her child eats the fresh fruit in his lunch because he’s been trading it for fruit roll-ups and could I just heat his Spaghettios in the microwave for him – 27 seconds is perfect, he likes them a little on the cool side…
Back in those days (pre-baby), I always felt there was a gap between me and the parents I spoke with everyday. They seemed to be on a different planet.
Then I had my son and realized I was right. Parenting brings on a whole new world of fears and worries, exacerbated by sleepless nights and misinformation spread all over the internet. I’ve read every last conflicting article about how to get my son to go to sleep without his marathon rocking sessions and how to overcome the obstacles of breastfeeding. Everyday I look at articles and try to sift out what is junk and keep the nuggets I can use. I have websites I trust to give factual, unbiased information, and insist the ones my husband prefers are all biased to his opinion.