History of Child care in Timeline

Child care, often called day care, involves supervising children from roughly three months to 18 years old. It typically refers to care provided by non-parental caregivers. The field is broad, encompassing various professionals, institutions, settings, activities, and socio-cultural norms. Early childcare is a critical aspect of child development, yet it's frequently underestimated in its importance.

1969: Lack of Crosscultural research on caretaking

By 1969, The Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research had 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, which would have created nationally funded childcare centers, was passed by Congress but vetoed by President Richard Nixon.

1977: Thomas S. Weisner and Ronald G. Gallimore article

In 1977, Thomas S. Weisner and Ronald G. Gallimore reported on their study of over a hundred countries which found that in agricultural/ horticultural societies, siblings and similar-aged children are 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 under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, creating dedicated federal funding for child care subsidies to low-income families.

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

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 study of developing nations

Since 1997, the WHO conducted an extensive study of six developing nations to develop standards for measuring and monitoring child growth and development.

1999: Canadian survey of formal child care centers

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

1999: Female-dominated child care workforce

In 1999, statistics showed that child care worker was the fifth most female-dominated occupation in the United States, with women comprising 95.5% of the workforce.

2000: Start of US daycare studies

In 2000, studies began in the United States suggesting that good daycare for non-infants is not harmful.

2001: Over half of US children attend childcare facilities

As of 2001, over half of the children in the United States attend childcare facilities, driven by the increasing number of working parents. This has led to an increase in the demand for childcare facilities.

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 Child Care Research

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

2003: American study on daycare and child behavior

A 2003 American study published in Child Development indicated that more time spent in daycare before age four-and-a-half tended to correlate with a child being less likely to get along with others, being disobedient, and exhibiting aggression, though still within the normal range.

2003: Organized childcare facilities usage

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

2003: IRS Child and Dependent Care Credit information available

In 2003, the IRS began providing information on the Child and Dependent Care Credit.

2006: New Zealand uses learning stories as a learning model

In 2006, New Zealand began using learning stories as a learning model in their curriculum called "Te Whaariki", highlighting children's learning outcomes as 'disposition'. Learning stories are documents used by caregivers and educators in childcare settings in a storytelling format instead of a traditional 'observation' report to document the different ways that young children learn. These stories include the child's progress, pictures, strengths, interests, needs, and parent feedback, and were also adopted in other places, including Australia.

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

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

2007: US daycare studies

Between 2000 and 2007, studies in the United States found that good daycare for non-infants is not harmful, and higher quality care was associated with better language and cognitive development. Bad daycare, however, put children at risk.

2007: Federal Daycare Programme for Working Mothers established

In 2007, the "Federal Daycare Programme for Working Mothers" was established. The program allowed for subsidized home and community based childcare. Care center operators only needed a psychological test and training courses to learn childcare principles. This program also subsidized care by non-profits, private for-profits, or religious institutions 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 children and mothers not covered by social security, focusing on low-income families where mothers were working or seeking employment, and lacking other service access. The program's success was tied to the availability of childcare services and its impact on women's workforce participation.

2007: National Institute of Health study release

In March 2007, the National Institute of Health released a study that children who received higher quality childcare scored higher on 5th-grade vocabulary tests, but teachers reported these children were more disobedient and argumentative, although these behaviors were still within a normal range.

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

The article cited a National Institute of Child Health Development survey from 2007 that indicated the lack in quality of American healthcare centers.

2008: Article in The Star on Not-For-Profits

In 2008, an article in The Star stated that not-for-profit child care organizations are more likely to provide high-quality environments for children.

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) Established

In 2009, the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) was established as a resource for childcare information in the US.

2011: Daycare guarantee for children in Norway

By August 1, 2011, the government in Norway guaranteed daycare for all children that are at least 1 year old. Coverage was still not 100%, but most regions were getting close. There's a maximum price to enable all families to afford it.

2012: Head Start teacher requirements updated

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

2013: "The Hell of American Day Care" published

In 2013, The New Republic published "The Hell of American Day Care," highlighting potential benefits and harms of formal childcare.

2013: Cost of child care 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 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 baseline changes to ensure safe child care, supported by Child Care Aware of America.

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 Child Care Organizations

In 2017, a survey by HiMama found that 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, India's free childcare system, provided by the state through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), cost the state ₹28,335 crore (US$3.4 billion).

April 2019: Childcare waitlist in Japan

As of April 2019, Okinawa had the highest percentage of children on childcare waitlists in Japan at 2.8% of all applicants. Tokyo had the largest number of children on the waitlist at 3,690. Nationwide, there was an excess supply of licensed childcare.

2020: Child care costs baseline comparison year

2020 is used as the baseline to show the child care costs in 2024. In 2024, the average annual cost of center-based child care for one child was $13,128, a 29% increase from 2020, compared to a 22% rise in overall consumer prices over the same period.

2021: Educator to child supervision ratios

As of 2021, the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) set minimum supervision ratios of educators to children, which vary by age group and state.

2021: Canadian government investment in child care

In 2021, reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government committed to decreasing the cost of child care, investing up to $8.3 billion for child care services in its 2021 budget.

2024: Average annual cost of center-based child care in US

In 2024, the average annual cost of center-based child care for one child was $13,128, a 29% increase from 2020, compared to a 22% rise in overall consumer prices over the same period. This cost represented a significant portion of household income for both married couples and single parents, and often exceeded typical mortgage and rent payments in many states.