Report Card

Is our region  topping  the child-care  charts?

By Lexi Gray Andrews

Dropping off a child for the first day of preschool is a bittersweet moment for most parents. When the search for a child care provider is complete, parents are left to wonder whether they made the right decision.

The majority of parents assume that child care education standards are in place to ensure children receive top-notch care, according to a poll conducted by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA). But there are no laws in Virginia requiring preschool teachers and directors to have formal training in early childhood education prior to taking the job.

“I pulled my daughter out of her first preschool after one week. She has serious food allergies that could potentially kill her, and I didn’t feel like they took that seriously enough,” former Virginia resident Erin Wolf said of her 3-year-old daughter, Sophia. “That school didn’t even care if the kids cried, they said it was normal and told me to let it go. But it doesn’t have to be that way.”

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) said its representatives visit each preschool facility twice a year. “And anytime there is a complaint, we go out and investigate,” said Lynne Williams, assistant director of the division of licensing programs for VDSS.

Average Grade
Last year, NACCRRA released a state-by-state “report card” on child care regulations and found that while Virginia fared better than the average state score, it has a long way to go before it reaches the top of the list. States were graded on 150 possible points, and Virginia received a 79, a slightly higher score than the average tally of 70.

NACCRRA’s ranking of state child care center standards, “We Can Do Better,” shows that every single state falls short of meeting the basic requirements put forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and other standards. Parents’ best option is to consider NAEYC-accredited preschools, as this distinction is a widely accepted mark of quality, said Linda Smith, NACCRRA executive director.

Gov. Tim Kaine recently introduced his “Start Strong” proposal, which includes a voluntary quality rating system for preschools. The proposal would expand Virginia’s current state-funded preschool program, the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), which funds early education for eligible children. Though the quality rating system for all VPI preschools will be mandatory, privately funded providers may choose to opt out.

Davida McDonald, NAEYC policy coordinator, said Kaine’s proposal to expand Virginia’s state-funded program is pretty much in line with progress elsewhere. “Very few states have made a real push toward increasing the investment in the child care system outside of publicly funded programs,” she said.
McDonald noted that Virginia has several counties without a single NAEYC-accredited preschool facility. “Everything depends on the political and economic climate. When you have the childhood education advocacy community working with the legislature and governors, it creates the most fertile environment. We understand that not every program is ready to be NAEYC-accredited, but programs should strive to follow our standards and criteria.”

Room for Improvement
If preschools do not strive for accreditation, they must still meet Virginia’s requirements. NACCRRA’s report shows that Virginia’s preschool requirements are already strong in several areas. The organization praises Virginia’s policy that ensures parents have the right to become heavily involved with their child’s education through visits and communication.

Virginia also ranks high for its focus on safety issues and excels in almost all of the points measured on NACCRRA’s report card. The state regulates preschool immunization and medicine administration, and also places importance on safe playground equipment.

Improvements should be made to Virginia laws surrounding group size and ratio requirements, which are not in line with NAEYC standards, according to NACCRRA. Virginia should also require formal training for preschool directors and teachers before they step into the classroom. Preschool teachers currently need only a high school diploma or GED before working with young children.

“We want preschool teachers to be trained before they start working with the children,” Smith urged. “Inappropriate expectations are a frequent problem in the child care setting. We want teachers to know exactly what to expect from a 2-year-old.”

Do Your Homework
The VDSS website is a resource for the training and professional development of early childhood care professionals. Until the law changes—if it ever does—preschools should use the many tools available to help improve the quality of their preschools, said Kathy Gillikin, a VDSS program manager.

The Virginia Child Care Resource and Referral Network (VACCRRN) is supported by VDSS to assist families searching for a preschool. The tool refers users to local preschools and provides information intended to simplify the process of finding the right facility. VACCRRN follows NACCRRA standards.

The VDSS website lists all state-licensed facilities, along with searchable compliance records. “We’ve had a lot of success stories from parents who used our website. We offer several ways parents can feel more empowered and in control when searching for a preschool,” said Mary Jo Thomas, VDSS child care and development director.

VDSS is also sponsoring a program through Northern Virginia Community College designed to train child care professionals. Gillikin said, “We are trying to discover new ways to get people to attend college or obtain a certificate in early childhood education.”

During an August 2007 education forum, Kaine said Virginia will eventually provide technical assistance toward improving the quality of preschool programs, making sure they offer incentives to reward achievements. Plans are also underway for a state-run office dedicated solely to Virginia’s preschools.

Know Your History
Eva Thorp, an associate professor of early childhood education at George Mason University’s College of Education and Human Development, said she is excited to live in Virginia at a time when the governor has made the education of young children a priority.

Thorp said there are many exciting improvements being made to Virginia’s early childhood education standards, but those providing the care continue to be underpaid for their work. Low pay for preschool workers means the best prepared and most educated professionals may not continue early childhood education careers.

McDonald agrees that a rise in requirements should equate to higher compensation for teachers. “If Virginia would pass a law requiring preschool directors and teachers to receive bachelor’s degrees before working with the children, they should also be considering adequate compensation.”

Above all, the quality of the preschool teachers is something parents shouldn’t have to worry about, said Smith. “One thing I would really like to see emphasized is screening. I think Virginia needs sex offender and fingerprint screening mandated for its preschools.” According to NACCRRA, of the 50 states, only Illinois and Nevada actually require full background checks of staff at their child-care centers.

Smith said when a preschool is screening only by the prospective employee’s name, there is no certainty of guaranteed accuracy. “Take my name for instance,” she said. “There are plenty of Linda Smiths out there—how would they know it’s even me? States just don’t seem to think that people who have a record are applying for child care positions.”

“I guarantee I would find people with criminal records if I did thorough background checks on every single person working in Virginia’s preschools,” Smith said.

Gillikin said VDSS is not opposed to more thorough background checks for preschool employees. “There are lots of pros to higher standards for background checks.”

Doing Time
By Maria Scinto & Vanessa LaFaso Stolarski

Tuition is the easy part. But what happens if your meeting runs late? You forget to pack lunch? Or your kid catches cooties from a playground pal?

Average Annual Cost of Child-care in Virginia $7,488 (at preschool level), although top preschools in the area command tuitions as high as $18,000 per year

Food $600-$1200 per year per child

Beforecare/Aftercare $3,500-$10,000 per year per child

Late Fees $1-$2 per minute, so if you’re ten minutes late once a week it could add up to a whopping $500-$1000 per year

Diapers/Training Pants $400 per year

Presents to Center Staff $50-$100 per year

Transportation $125 per year in gas if a drive to your child’s center/preschool takes you 5 miles out of your way (assuming 30 mpg and $3 a gallon—costs adjust accordingly if you have worse mileage, a longer commute or more expensive gas)

Baby Sitters for When Child is Sick or Center is Closed $6-$15-plus per hour ($6-plus for a teenager, $15-plus for an adult sitter)

 

(January 2008)

Tags: Education, Top preschools