Abstract
Since the increase in single parent families and dual income families, daycare has become a necessity for some households. The paper shows that through many sources and scientific tests, it has been proven that daycare has no negative effects on a child's well-being, and can actually help develop some necessary social skills for interaction with other children. The paper discusses the history of daycare, gives a contemporary definition and then shows the arguments for and against the use of daycare.

From the Paper
"In addition, there are advantages to each specific type of daycare. In-home care provides continuity and stability, as the child stays in the home all day. The child will also be able to follow his or her own schedule for meals and naps, and not deviate from the weekdays to the weekends (Berezin 13). Family daycare offers a comfortable place for a child to stay all day, while away from his or her house. The family daycare can also offer a small group of playmates for the child (Berezin 14). Childcare centers usually have on staff professionals that have studied development. In addition, there are plenty of other children at centers who can play with and socialize with the child. Finally, the childcare center will offer more of a range of activities that may not be available at home (Berezin 16)."

Tags:Oberlin, caregiver, in-home, social, skills

Abstract
Within this paper, an examination of factors related to daycare for preschool children in the U.S. is presented. As working parents have increasingly had to rely on daycare as an option for child care and as a means for insuring that they were able to maintain employment and wages for their families, the information provided offers an analysis of daycare services and their potential influence on developmental outcomes for children. The paper discusses current findings on daycare in relation to conceptualizations of child development, including Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, Mahler's individuation/separation theory, Montessori's theory of environment/activities theory, and Bandura's social learning theory.

From the Paper
"According to information provided by the US Bureau of Census, between 1977 and 1994, there has been an increase in the number of working mothers using daycare centers for their preschoolers, from 13 percent to 29 percent. On the basis of data from the 1997 National Survey on America's Families, as reported by Capizzano, Adams and Sonenstein (2000), nationwide a large percentage (76 percent) of preschool children with employed mothers are regularly cared for by someone other than their parents. For more than half of preschool children with employed mothers, the primary child care provider is not related to the child. Thirty-two percent of children are in center-based child care arrangements, while about half as many (16 percent) are in family child care. A relatively small percentage of children (6 percent) are regularly cared for by a baby-sitter or nanny in the child's home. "

Tags:development, Montessori, Bandura, erikson, social

Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the field of family daycare. It covers various aspects, such as the advantages of this form of childcare and the challenges faced by those who run family daycare.

Paper Outline:
Introduction
Advantages Family Daycare/Disadvantages
Reasons Parents Prefer
Challenges Facing
Characteristics of Good Care
Child Care Programs of Excellence
Future Trends
Implications
References

From the Paper
"Other challenges facing family day care providers include parents' perception about the type of service being provided. To change this, family day care providers can work towards ensuring that they are adequately licensed, and attempt to acquire additional training in childhood development (CCSTARS, 2005). Another challenge facing daycare providers is the fact that state standards are often changing, which can make compliance with state regulations challenging."

Tags:license, training, nanny

Abstract
This paper explains that the firefighter daycare center will provide a staff of qualified professionals, all of whom are certified with Early Childhood Education (ECE) diplomas, and, above all else, flexible and affordable. The author points out that the daycare will aspire to attract clientele, gain corporate and community sponsorship in an effort to reduce costs, and provide adequate services and seek out volunteers to help manage operating costs. The paper concludes that, in the event that EMSDS does not find adequate resources with which to conduct business in its first year, it will postpone arrangements to open approximately one year later. Charts.

Table of Contents
Introduction/Executive Summary
Vision
Situational Analysis
Market Demographics
Market Summary
Market Needs
Market Trends
Market Forecast/Growth
SWOT
Competition
Mission
Market Objectives
Marketing Mix
Pricing
Competition
Selling Methods
Financial Data
Breakeven
Implementation
Contingency

From the Paper
"The daycare industry is growing. The childcare services industry is one of the most rapidly growing markets, expanding in part due to accommodate the increasingly high demand for quality services. In 1999 the market for childcare services topped out at more than $3.5 billion. The market is expected to surpass $60 billion in revenues in the upcoming years, in part due to the fact that both parents typically are now working in the labor force. "Child care expenses by households rose 15.7% between 1986 and 1999 alone". "Formal daycare service providers in 1999 earned revenues of approximately $1.8 billion, with expenses toping out at approximately $1.7 billion, leaving more than $96 million in profits for daycare providers". The profit margin is approximately 5.3%."

Tags:volunteer, resources, sponsorship, flexible, cost

Abstract
This paper proposes a business plan for a company that will cater to the needs of people 25 and older who want the flexibility that a regular child daycare offers but for his/her pet. It looks at how Ruff's Daycare services will include flexible hours for the pet parent, exclusive name brand dog merchandise, and dog training that focuses on dog etiquette, social and behavioral problem correction and dog manners. The paper includes an industry analysis, the description of the venture, operational plan, marketing plan, organizational plan, assessment of risk, a financial plan, and several appendices.

Outline:
Industry Outlook, Forecasts and Trends
Future Outlook and Trends
Market Segmentation
Industry and Market Forecast
Description of Venture
Mission Statement
Product(s)
Services(s)
Size of Business
Office Equipment
Background of Entrepreneur
Operational Plan
Description of Venture
Technology Utilization
Flow of Orders
Marketing Plan
Industry Analysis
Competitor Analysis
Pricing
Distribution
Promotion
Product Forecasts
Controls
Organization Plan
Form of Ownership
Authority of Principals
Employee Standards and Wages
Roles and Responsibilities of Members of the Organization
Assessment of Risks
Evaluate Weaknesses of the Business
New Technologies
Contingency Plan
Financial Plan
Pro Forma Income Statement
Cash Flow Projections
Pro Forma Balance Sheet
Appendix
References

From the Paper
"The number of U.S. households with pets has held steady at approximately 58 million over the past ten years, with an estimated six of ten U.S. households owning a pet in 1996, up from 56 percent in 1988. There were 59.1 million pet cats in 1996, up 3.6 percent, and 59.2 million pet dogs, up less than one percent. However, the amount of money Americans spend on their pets has exploded. In 1993, overall retail sales of pet-related items were approximately $16 billion. By 1997 this number had risen to $22.6 billion, and by 2001, that number has jumped to $28.5 billion. Industry experts expect sales to grow steadily for the next five years, from three to 15 percent, according to surveys conducted by the Pet Industry Joint advisory Council. Thus, while there does not seem to be great increases in people who own pets, the ones that do are valuing them more. "

Tags:pets, income, marketing, etiquette

Abstract
This paper explains that Starland Daycare will offer a full-range of childcare services for infants and toddlers and after school care for older children. The author points out that the Queens area is a growth market with 50% of the population working adults. The paper reports that the SWOT analysis reveals that the market upside justifies this start-up and that marketing initiatives can overcome parent reservations regarding start-up childcare centers without an established reputation. The author concludes that the competitive analysis shows that the market currently has many childcare centers; however, the market demand has outpaced the industry's ability to meet this demand. The paper concludes that Starland Daycare has an excellent market entry opportunity provided it sites itself appropriately. The paper includes a chart showing a competitor profile matrix.

Table of Contents:
Executive Summary
Situation Analysis
Service Overview
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Competitive Analysis

From the Paper
"The greatest threat in the childcare industry is the regulatory apparatus within which the industry's competitors must operate. There are federal and state guidelines and provisions that must be following as well as safety and health requirements of the local county and city offices which must be complied with. These regulations limit the number of children that a center can serve as well as the type of child in that the care and service arrangements for infants and toddlers are different than those for older children."

Tags:insurance, characteristics, discounts, reputation, montessori

Abstract
The role of the daycare director is complex, including a number of responsibilities and duties pertaining to the management of the center, the staff, and the enrolled children. This presentation includes a look at two areas of responsibility, the paperwork involved and the role as a leader.

From the Paper
"The director of a daycare center functions as a leader for all involved. Duties are described as including the following: enrolling new children, hiring assistants, maintaining all of the accounting and bookkeeping information, creating lesson plans, teaching the classes, driving for outside events, cooking meals, creating fund raisers, and attending community meetings. The director functions as a leader for the children, their parents and families, the community, and the staff (Job Profiles, 2001)."

Tags:health, safety, requirements, curriculum

Abstract
This paper is about what effects daycare has on children, the benefits and the drawbacks. It argues that children need a parent, someone that loves them, to be with them most of the time and that children do better at home than in a program.

From the Paper
"Research has found that children who go to daycare everyday and have to stay for long hours often become aggressive and don't mind adults well (Weitzman, 2006). They become uncooperative. Many of them get clingy because they are insecure. One author says that the children suffer "psychic distress" when they are constantly separated from their parents. Their health suffers because of so many children being all in one small space. Lice and ringworm are problems and other infectious diseases that children catch in daycare that they would not be exposed to at home. One study (Kay, 2005) showed stress levels are higher in daycare children who have higher levels of cortisol in their bloodstreams. There is also anecdotal evidence (like my grandmother's "evidence") that children in daycare bite each other in epidemic proportions. Biting is animal behavior. It implies a need for self-protection. "

Tags:parents, caregiver

From the Paper
"Infants in Center-Based Daycare

Introduction
During the last few decades, there has been a vast shift in the way young children have been cared for during their first several years of life. Along with the increase in the number of working mothers, there has been a change in the form of day care utilized by these mothers. Dawson (1990) noted that during the period just from 1970-1988, the percentage of young children cared for in licensed day care centers in the United States increased from 3.5% to 22%.

As a result, it has become increasingly important both to look at the conditions in these day care centers and to look at the consequences of day care center attendance for young children. The .."

Abstract
This paper reviews and discusses the issues relating to the placement of babies and young children into daycare. The paper examines the association between aggressive behavior and daycare among children from three different perspectives. The paper also discusses Erik Erikson's stage theory of psychosocial development and the operant conditioning theory of B.F. Skinner.

Outline:
The Issue
Erik Erikson's Perspective
Skinner's Perspective
Conclusion

From the Paper
"How can daycare environments be improved upon in order to decrease the stress experienced by children and further decrease the development of aggressive behavior? Dettling, Parker, Lane, Sebane, and Gunnar (2000) used patterns of cortisol production in young children to assess whether levels were influenced by situational factors involved in daycare such as size of the group, adult-to-child ratio, separation from parents, and quality of stimulation and attention from the child-care provider. The results of this study indicated that cortisol patterns among the children over the span of a day correlated significantly with the quantity of stimulation and attention provided by the child-care provider. Also, cortisol levels among children that were more emotionally negative and those with less self-control, such as aggressive children, also dramatically increased throughout the day. Overall, this study further reinforces how quality of daycare is key in determining the stress levels experienced by the children (Dettling et al., 2000)."

Tags:psychosocial, internal, conflict, childcare, daycare, providers, carers, kindergarten