Industry Overview
Many working parents today are concerned about the type and quality of day care their children receive. This is especially true for children between infancy and age 5. It is unfortunate that in this, of all industries, required training is minimal. However, more states are requiring background checks of day care and child day care providers. The National Child Care Information Center provides detailed data and information services to assist parents.
There are various day care centers available, from the formal ones that include nursery and pre-school centers, group day care centers and Head Start centers. At-home day care centers are smaller and usually have more of an age mix to care for.
The number of people employed in the industry is close to 800,000 across the country and yet most child care facilities have less than 20 employees. Due to so many double income families, the industry has quadrupled over the past few years with revenue estimates of $30 billion annually.
Miami day care and child care is a multi-lingual business in a city that has so many ethnicities. The need for day care and child care in Detroit has actually gone down as the number for unemployment has increased.
Industry Trends
The safety of children comes first. More regulation by each individual state with more checks on staff is now the norm.
Brighter, cleaner child day care facilities are popping up nationally. In many areas, fees are being determined based on ability to pay, not flat rates. The parents are welcome to drop by at any time, which was not always possible before.
Brand Names
Le Petit Academy is ranked among the best in day care and child care, operating over 600 units nationally, accepting registrants from 6 weeks old to age 12.