Celebrating Daycare

I wish that everyone who has ever disparaged daycare or scoffed at government subsidies of child-care centers could have been with me on Monday afternoon. My four-year-old daughter and I went to a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Small Savers Child Development Center at the Office of Thrift Supervision, a federal agency in downtown Washington, D.C. My daughter spent much of her first year of life in the infant room while I was at work a few blocks away. For me, working motherhood would not have been possible without quality daycare like Small Savers.

The party was filled with about 200 parents, staff, and, of course, children of all ages tearing around playfully, bringing life and illumination to the drab government building conference room. The woman who founded the non-profit parent cooperative center in 1986 was honored. The director, who has run Small Savers for 13 years, was there. My daughter's teacher, an employee for seven years, recognized us immediately. A congratulatory letter from George and Laura Bush, who live across the street from Small Savers, was read aloud. The room was filled with joy. And I remembered the joy it gave me to leave my baby there, day after day, while I went to work knowing she would be cared for and loved while I was doing my job.

Small NAEYC-accredited child-care centers like Small Savers are relatively expensive. There are long waiting lists to get in. There tends to be low turnover among the staff because they are paid well and treated with the respect and gratitude they deserve. There are too few child-care centers like Small Savers in our country. Parents and children would be better off if there were more.

My daughter left Small Savers almost three years ago, and as we walked into the celebration Monday she didn't remember her teacher or the other children. But after only a few minutes she felt at ease at the child-friendly gathering. She went about the room, serving herself carrots and potato chips, laughing and playing with the other children. When it was time to leave, she said she didn't want to go, reminding me how she looked every afternoon when I picked her up after work. Happy to see me, sad to leave her warm, safe, friendly second home.

By Leslie Morgan Steiner |  June 28, 2006; 7:00 AM ET  | Category:  Raising Great Kids
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