Family Policies In Childcare

Family policies, as defined by Cherlin, are “political beliefs about how the government should assist families in caring for dependents” (Cherlin, 436). The assistance of government programs and aid did not begin until the early twentieth century, when labor unions and civic group started demanding more from the government. They demanded old-age pensions, better pay and hours, assistance to mothers and children in poverty, and more programs to make everyday life a little bit more bearable. With the social security act of 1935, which met some of the aforementioned demands, the government became far more involved in economically supporting families in need. The laws passed by the U.S. Congress after the great depression to protect workers and …show more content…
In order to properly explore the problem of the childcare system on the family and society in general, I first need to discuss two other policies that affect the childcare system. The first, the welfare reform law, was enacted in 1996. The passing of the social security act of 1935 introduced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program in order to support windows and their children. With the dominance of gendered ideologies and the breadwinner-homemaker model influencing their decision, Congress increased the program benefit level in the 50s in hopes of encouraging poor mothers to stay at home with their children. In the 70s, participants in the Aids to Families with Dependent Children program were encouraged, through the passage of certain laws, to work outside of the home and have someone else watch their children while they worked (Cherlin, 447). With the welfare reform act of 1996, participants were no longer encouraged to work outside of the home they were required to. “Recipients had to accept work within two years of being on the rolls or their families would lose their benefits. No longer could poor mothers stay home full time to care for their children” (Cherlin, 447). With the implementation of the welfare reform, TANF, there was in increase in the number of single mothers working outside of the home. With more single mothers in the workforce, who …show more content…
The policy I would create would not so much focus on the monetary aspect of childcare, but instead would focus on creating a high quality standard of childcare so that all children, no matter their economic background, can receive the care they need for proper cognitive and social development. One of the main things I would fix would be the state childcare licensing requirements and the state oversight requirements. There are no nation wide parameters for state licensing. In a recent study done by Child Care Aware of America, they found that no state in the US has earned an “A” in program requirements and oversights. Most states earned a “C”, twenty one states earned a “D”, and twenty states received a failing grade. In terms of background checks, 13 states conducted detailed background checks, and 23 states checked the sex offender registry. In terms of training, 21 states require child development training, and in 17 states you don’t need to have a high school diploma to teach. In terms of health and safety, the majority of the states don’t address the safety requirements recommended by pediatricians. Most states fail to effectively monitor the programs and do not require yearly inspections. (CCAA). Based off of this research, I propose that the government should provide a strict nation wide standard of childcare and do yearly inspections to make sure that these new regulations are being followed. These regulations would