History of Child care in Timeline

Child care encompasses the supervision and care of children, usually from infancy to adolescence, by non-parental caregivers. This broad field includes diverse professionals, institutions, contexts, activities, and socio-cultural norms. Early child care is a critical aspect of child development, frequently underestimated in its significance.

1969: Lack of Cross-Cultural Research on Childcare

In 1969, according to Thomas S. Weisner and Ronald G. Gallimore, there had been no cross-cultural work referencing caretaking of children by anyone other than parents published in The Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research.

1971: Comprehensive Child Development Act vetoed

In 1971, the Comprehensive Child Development Act, which would have created nationally funded childcare centers in the US, was passed by Congress but vetoed by President Richard Nixon.

1977: Weisner and Gallimore Article on Cross-Cultural Childcare

In 1977, Thomas S. Weisner and Ronald G. Gallimore published an article reporting on their study of childcare practices in over a hundred countries. They found that in agricultural/ horticultural societies, siblings and similar-aged children often care for younger children, especially where work is done to provide sustenance for the community. Other factors of childcare vary cross-culturally, including the relative ages of the caretakers and children, parental expectations, and cultural conceptions of children's maturity.

1990: Child Care and Development Block Grant Act enacted

In 1990, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act was enacted in the U.S. under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. It created federal funding for child care subsidies to low-income families.

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

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: The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

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 Child Growth Study

Since 1997, the World Health Organization (WHO) has conducted an extensive study of six developing nations to develop standards for measuring the physical growth, nutritional status, and motor development of children from birth to 5 years of age. These standards are known as the New WHO Child Growth Standard.

1999: Canadian Survey of Formal Child Care Centers

In 1999, a Canadian survey of formal child care centers revealed that labor constituted 63% of the costs, while the industry's average profit stood at 5.3%. The survey also indicated minimal economies of scale between larger and smaller operators due to the labor-intensive nature of the industry.

1999: Female-Dominated Child Care Workforce

In 1999, the United States reported that child care workers were predominantly female, making up 95.5% of the workforce in that sector, ranking it as the fifth most female-dominated occupation. The workforce in Canada is also predominantly female (95%).

2000: Impact of Good Daycare

From 2000 to 2007, studies in the United States suggested that good daycare is not harmful for non-infants and can provide beneficial experiences, especially for children over two who are ready to socialize. Higher quality care was linked to better language and cognitive development during the first 4 1/2 years of life, as well as increased cooperation compared to lower quality care in the first 3 years of life.

2001: Childcare attendance increases in the U.S.

As of 2001, over half of the children in the United States attended childcare facilities, driven by an increase in the number of working parents.

2001: Child care becomes 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 undertakes research on childcare

In 2001, Public Agenda undertook research on childcare in the United States.

2003: Use of organized childcare facilities increase

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

2003: Daycare Time and Behavior

In 2003, an American study published in Child Development indicated that more time spent in daycare before the age of four-and-a-half was associated with a tendency for children to be less cooperative, more disobedient, and more aggressive, though these behaviors remained within the normal range.

2003: IRS Child and Dependent Care Credit information

In 2003, the IRS Child and Dependent Care Credit information undertook research on childcare in the United States.

2006: New Zealand implements "Te Whaariki"

In 2006, New Zealand implemented 'Te Whaariki', which uses learning stories as a learning model. Learning stories are documents that are used by caregivers and educators in childcare settings. They use a storytelling format instead of a traditional 'observation' report to document the different ways that young children learn, and capture the moment in greater detail and provide parents with a greater insight into the events that occur in their child's time in childcare.

2006: University of Florida's Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences (IFAS) undertakes research on childcare

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

2007: Impact of Good Daycare

2007: NICHD survey indicates lack of quality of American healthcare centers

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

2007: Federal Daycare Programme for Working Mothers established

In 2007, the Federal Daycare Programme for Working Mothers was established in Mexico, offering subsidized home and community-based childcare. Care center operators needed only a psychological test and training in childcare principles. The program also subsidized non-profits, private for-profits, and religious institutions providing childcare in areas of need.

2007: Ministry of Social Development childcare program created

In 2007, the Ministry of Social Development in Mexico created a childcare program specifically targeting low-income families and mothers not covered by social security services. Eligibility required mothers to be working or seeking employment, consideration of income relative to minimum wage, and lack of access to other childcare services. This program aimed to increase women's participation in the workforce by providing accessible childcare.

2007: NIH Study on Childcare Quality and Development

In March 2007, the National Institute of Health released a study that followed children into the 6th grade and found that higher quality childcare correlated with higher scores on 5th-grade vocabulary tests. However, teachers also reported that children from childcare exhibited increased disobedience, fighting, and argumentativeness, although these behavioral issues were within the normal range.

2008: Quality of Childcare Environments

In 2008, an article in The Star reported that not-for-profit childcare centers are more likely to provide high-quality environments where children can thrive.

2008: India Adopts WHO Standards for Child Growth

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

2009: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) research

In 2009, the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) undertook research on childcare in the United States.

2011: Daycare guarantee in Norway

By 2011, Norway was approaching universal daycare coverage, guaranteeing daycare for all children at least 1 year old by August 1st. The government implemented a maximum price to ensure affordability for all families.

2012: Head Start teacher requirements set

By 2012, Head Start programs in the US required all lead teachers to have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education.

2013: Publication of "The Hell of American Day Care"

In 2013, The New Republic published a cover story entitled, "The Hell of American Day Care", discussing the 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 many lower-income families despite the Australian Government's Child Care Subsidy scheme.

March 2014: U.S. Senate passed a reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant program

In March 2014, the U.S. Senate passed a reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant program that included "some baseline changes to make sure there's safe child care".

September 2014: Bipartisan agreement to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act

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

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

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

2017: HiMama Survey on Childcare Risks and Priorities

According to a 2017 survey by HiMama, 68% of for-profit child care organizations ranked 'Labor' as their top risk, and 65% ranked 'Talent and Recruitment' as their top priority, highlighting the challenges in staffing and retaining qualified childcare providers.

2018: Cost of Free Childcare in India

In India, during the 2018-19 fiscal year, the cost of providing free childcare through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) amounted to ₹28,335 crore (US$3.4 billion).

April 2019: Childcare Waitlists in Japan

In April 2019, Okinawa had the highest percentage of children on childcare waitlists in Japan, with 2.8% of applicants (1,702 children). Tokyo had the largest number of children on the waitlist, with 3,690 children (1.19% of applicants). Nationally, the average percentage of children on waitlists was 0.6%, with an excess supply of licensed childcare spots.

2021: Australian Childcare Supervision Ratios

As of 2021, the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) regulated minimum supervision ratios of educators to children, varying by age group and state. These ratios included 1:4 for infants, 1:5 for 2–3 year olds (except for VIC at 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

In 2021, reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government acknowledged the importance of childcare for child development and economic growth. As a result, the 2021 Canadian budget included an investment of up to $8.3 billion for early learning and childcare services, including support for indigenous communities, with the goal of decreasing the cost of childcare.