History of Child care in Timeline

Child care, or day care, involves the supervision of children, generally aged three months to 18 years, by non-parental caregivers. It encompasses diverse professionals, institutions, and settings, playing a crucial role in child development. Early childcare experiences significantly influence a child's growth and well-being, making it an important consideration for families and societies.

1969: Absence of crosscultural work on caretaking of children by anyone other than parents in The Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research

By 1969 there had been no crosscultural work reference to caretaking of children by anyone other than parents published in The Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research included in its 1,182 pages virtually no reference to caretaking of children by anyone other than parents.

1971: Comprehensive Child Development Act Vetoed

In 1971, the Comprehensive Child Development Act was passed by Congress. However, it was subsequently vetoed by President Richard Nixon. The proposed Act aimed to establish nationally funded child care centers offering early childhood services, after-school care, nutrition, counseling, and medical/dental care on a sliding scale payment system.

1977: Thomas S. Weisner and Ronald G. Gallimore article on cross-cultural childcare

In 1977, Thomas S. Weisner and Ronald G. Gallimore published an article reporting on their study of over a hundred countries. They found that in agricultural/ horticultural societies, siblings and similar-aged children are often responsible for younger children.

1990: Child Care and Development Block Grant Act Enacted

In 1990, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act was enacted as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. This legislation established a dedicated federal funding stream to provide child care subsidies for low-income families.

1995: U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Income and Program Participation

According to the 1995 U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), over 36% of families of preschoolers with working mothers primarily relied on childcare in the home of a relative, family daycare provider or other non-relative.

1996: PRWORA Consolidates Federal Child Care Programs

In 1996, the 104th Congress passed The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), consolidating three federal child care programs previously serving low-income families under the program formerly known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

1997: WHO study of six developing nations to develop standards.

Since 1997, WHO has conducted an extensive study of six developing nations to develop standards.

1999: Canadian survey of formal child care centers

In 1999, a Canadian survey of formal child care centers found that labor accounted for 63% of costs, and the industry had an average profit of 5.3%.

1999: Child care workforce statistics in Canada and the US

In 1999, in Canada, the child care workforce was predominantly female (95%) and low paid, averaging only 60% of average workforce wage. In the United States, "child care worker" was the fifth most female-dominated occupation (95.5% female).

2000: US studies on the effects of daycare

In 2000, studies in the United States suggested that good daycare for non-infants is not harmful and can provide different experiences than parental care, particularly for children over two years old. However, bad daycare poses physical, emotional, and attachment risks to children. Higher quality care was associated with better language and cognitive development.

2001: More Than Half of U.S. Children Attend Childcare Facilities

As of 2001, over half of the children in the United States were attending childcare facilities. This increase was related to the rise in the number of working parents, leading to a higher demand for childcare services.

2001: Child Care an Important Aspect of American Society

By 2001, child care had become an important aspect of American society, with more than "thirteen million American children under 5 years of age experiencing some form of child care before entering formal school."

2001: Public Agenda Research on Child Care

In 2001, the Public Agenda conducted research on child care in the United States. This research likely contributed to understanding the challenges and opportunities in the child care sector.

2003: Organized Childcare Facilities Usage

By 2003, almost 26% of families used organized childcare facilities as their primary arrangement.

2003: American study on time spent in daycare and child behavior

In 2003, an American study published in Child Development found that more time spent in daycare before age four-and-a-half correlated with a child's increased tendency to be less cooperative, more disobedient, and more aggressive, though still within the normal range.

2003: IRS Child and Dependent Care Credit Information

In 2003, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) provided information regarding the Child and Dependent Care Credit. This information assists eligible taxpayers in claiming a tax credit for expenses related to child and dependent care, easing the financial burden of childcare.

2006: New Zealand Implements "Te Whaariki" Learning Model

In 2006, New Zealand started using learning stories as a learning model in their curriculum called "Te Whaariki". This highlights children's learning outcomes as 'disposition' which are "situated learning strategies plus motivation-participation repertoires from which a learner recognize, selects, edits, responds to, resists, searches for and constructs learning opportunities".

2006: IFAS Research on Child Care

In 2006, the University of Florida's Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences (IFAS) was conducting research on child care in the United States.

2007: National Institute of Child Health Development Survey

In 2007, The National Institute of Child Health Development survey indicated the lack in quality of American healthcare centers

2007: US studies on the effects of daycare

In 2007, studies in the United States suggested that good daycare for non-infants is not harmful and can provide different experiences than parental care, particularly for children over two years old. However, bad daycare poses physical, emotional, and attachment risks to children. Higher quality care was associated with better language and cognitive development.

2007: Federal Daycare Programme for Working Mothers Established

In 2007, the 'Federal Daycare Programme for Working Mothers' was created. This program in Mexico subsidized both home and community-based childcare. Care center operators were required to complete a training component, including a psychological test and childcare principles training, before receiving funds to furnish their facilities and create safe caring environments. The program also subsidized non-profits, private for-profits, and religious institutions in areas of need.

2007: Ministry of Social Development Creates Childcare Program

In 2007, the Ministry of Social Development in Mexico established a childcare program designed to support children and mothers not covered by social security services. This program specifically targeted low-income families, requiring mothers to be employed or seeking employment, assessing income relative to minimum wage, and ensuring the families lacked access to other childcare services. This was successful in helping low income families.

2007: NIH study on childcare quality and child development

In March 2007, the National Institute of Health released a study that found that children who received higher quality childcare scored higher on 5th grade vocabulary tests. However, teachers reported these children to be more disobedient, fight more frequently, and more argumentative, though these behaviors were within the normal range.

2008: The Star article on not-for-profit childcare environments

In 2008, an article in The Star stated that not-for-profit childcare environments are more likely to produce high quality environments for children.

2008: Adoption of WHO standards for measuring and monitoring child growth and development in India

In 2008, the Government of India adopted the World Health Organization standards for measuring and monitoring child growth and development, both for the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

2009: NCCIC Information and Technical Assistance Center

In 2009, the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) was in operation, providing resources and support related to child care.

2011: Daycare Coverage Approaching 100% in Norway

By 2011, most regions in Norway were approaching 100% daycare coverage for children at least 1 year old, a right guaranteed by the government since the children are one year old by August 1. While not yet universal, there was a maximum price set to ensure affordability for all families.

2012: Head Start Lead Teachers Requirement

By 2012, Head Start programs required all lead teachers to hold a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, reflecting efforts to enhance the quality of early childhood education.

2013: The Hell of American Day Care

In 2013, The New Republic cover story entitled, "The Hell of American Day Care", said that there are potential benefits and harms related to formal child care.

2013: Cost of childcare in Australia

In 2013, the median weekly cost of center-based long day care in Australia was approximately A$364, making it unaffordable for lower income earners.

March 2014: Senate Passed Child Care and Development Block Grant Program Reauthorization

In March 2014, the U.S. Senate passed a reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant program. The reauthorization aimed to strengthen minimum protections for children, including background checks for workers, CPR and health training requirements, and unannounced inspections.

September 2014: Bipartisan Agreement Reached on Child Care and Development Block Grant Act

On September 12, 2014, House and Senate leaders reached a bipartisan agreement to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. This agreement aimed to enhance transparency, strengthen health and safety protections, and improve the quality of care provided to children.

November 2014: Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 Signed into Law

On November 19, 2014, President Barack Obama signed S.1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, into law.

2017: HiMama survey on risks and priorities in for-profit child care organizations

According to a survey done by HiMama, in 2017, 68% of for-profit child care organizations ranked 'Labor' as their top risk and 65% ranked 'Talent and Recruitment' as their top priority.

2018: Cost of free childcare in India

In 2018, free childcare in India cost the state ₹28,335 crore (US$3.4 billion).

April 2019: Childcare waitlist statistics in Japan

As of April 2019, Okinawa had the highest percentage of children on the waitlist at 2.8% of all the applicants (1,702 children), while Tokyo had the largest number of children on the waitlist at 3,690 children (1.19% of applicants).

2021: Minimum supervision ratios of educators to children in Australia

As of 2021, minimum supervision ratios of educators to children in Australia were 1:4 for infants, 1:5 for 2–3 years old (except for VIC – 1:4), 1:10 for preschoolers in NSW, TAS and WA, and 1:11 for preschoolers in ACT, NT, QLD, SA and VIC.

2021: Canadian government investment in childcare services

In 2021, the Canadian government made it a goal to decrease the cost of child care and invested up to $8.3 billion for child care services for early learning and for indigenous communities in the 2021 Canadian budget.