Daycare Dangers
As a teenager, it is highly unlikely that you are thinking about where you will send your future children when it comes to needing a babysitter, but the thought crosses most parents' minds. Many people choose to hire a nanny, leave them with a family member, or send their children to a daycare; however, parents today fear putting their children in daycare systems due to recent daycare scandals, not only across the United States, but also in our own communities.
A local daycare here in Murray has recently been shut down because one of the staff members assaulted a child in the program. A worker at Littles2Big Childcare center has been accused of biting a child and is being charged with child abuse. Another instance happening this past February includes a former Paducah daycare worker being charged with child sexual abuse at Explore Learning Academy. Many parents may fear sending their children to daycare because of horrible situations like these.
Parents may also fear sending their children to daycare because it increases the likelihood of their child getting sick. According to a study conducted from 1998-2006 at the University of Montreal, children in group childcare have a greater chance of getting sick in comparison to kids who stay at home. Furthermore, since COVID-19, according to the U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation, many childcare businesses have since shut down due to parents pulling their children from programs to prevent COVID-19. Children in daycare can contract sicknesses such as a cold, pink eye, and stomach bug most often.
There is a plethora of things that parents can fear when it comes to sending their children to daycare. By putting children in a daytime program, parents relinquish control of activities and safety to the caregivers. Parents cannot control or prevent their children from getting sick, they cannot control how their children will react to being in a daycare, and they cannot control how staff members will react to their children's behaviors. Putting a child in daycare is parents putting their trust in the company - - parents putting trust in the staff members. When daycares in local communities break that trust, it only instills more fear in parents across communities.
