Talking with Day Care Advocates

Judge for yourself. Does this email exchanged with day care advocates show that these advocates are reluctant to address the facts about day care?

Here's KidsCampaign's response to my query: Subject: Re: why day care? Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 08:57:00 -0500 From: Ana Delgado To: jasto@erols.com Thanks for writing. We are sorry that you interpreted a pro-day care bias on the site. Most early childhood organizations acknowledge that more and more infants and toddlers are spending time each day in some type of child care setting. During these early years, adults -- whether parents or caregivers -- have the opportunity to make a great impact and positively influence a child's future. Only a parent can decide whether or not to stay at home with their child. Experts agree, however, that spending as much time as you can with your baby is important for the baby and for you. In the "Development" section of The Early Years, KidsCampaigns offers parenting resources to help guide decision-making for parents during their children's first years of life. --Ana Delgado

Jasto responded to this, including Ms. Delgado's comments in the email. Ms. Delgado's words, again, appear in italics. After Jasto's response, which attempted to get at the facts about the known harm of day care, communication was angrily or dismissively halted.

Dear Ms. Delgado, Thanks for your response to my concerns about the day care bias of the site. Most early childhood organizations acknowledge that more and more infants and toddlers are spending time each day in some type of child care setting. Jasto submits to you that a large reason for this is because of information spread in this society which suggests to parents that putting their kids in day care is equal to parenting them oneselves. Only a parent can decide whether or not to stay at home with their child. Jasto's never understood why this statement of this obvious is always made (by day care advocates.) No kidding - this is a free country. However, to present this as a neutral choice, rather than as a tragedy for an infant or toddler is part of the bias. Can you imagine a gorilla or chimp mom deciding whether to parent her own child or not? Absurd, isn't it. And, it's just as absurd to pretend that parents who don't have to work but do are making a choice as good for their child as a parent who "stays home" with an infant/toddler. Experts agree, however, that spending as much time as you can with your baby is important for the baby and for you. Well, actually, the experts say that baby's bonding to mom is impaired if it's away from her more than 10 hours a week, and experts say that baby's development is impaired if it has more than one primary caregiver in the first three years of life. Your site hides these facts, and therefore has a pro-day care bias. Experts don't say squeeze baby in around your career and you'll both be rewarded. In the "Development" section of The Early Years, KidsCampaigns offers parenting resources to help guide decision-making for parents during their children's first years of life. Again, you don't tell the whole truth in these resources, so parents can't make good decisions. The site blandly reports, for example, that a child's cognitive development isn't impaired if care is good, but does not tell parents that only 1 in 8 day care slots provides such care and that half of all day care slots are harmful to children. You don't even mention the labor dept. study that shows second incomes under 19K actually drain family resources, and that a second income must top 33K before it benefits a family financially to put a kid in care. Jasto knows it is in the interests of corporations for people to be estranged from their children and focused on consumption. It is in the interests of corporations to have every possible body available for work, to drive down wages. But, people who wish to be advocates for babies and toddlers shouldn't be complicit in this. Remember the early days of the second wave of feminism, when we decried the patriarchal, never-there, fifties-style dad? Why now are women pushing to give children two such parents???? Yours for telling parents like it truly is, Jasto

Here's the last communication from KidsCampaign's:

Subject: Re: this is the response....what do you think? Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 09:00:41 -0500 From: Julee Newberger To: jasto (by way of Ana Delgado ) She can write an editorial if she wants. Otherwise, I'm not responding again. Julee Newberger > Staff Writer, KidsCampaigns > The Benton Foundation > 202-638-5770 > 202-638-5771 (fax) > http://www.kidscampaigns.org

WOW - Is it fair to conclude that the unwillingness to answer questions means these day care advocates know they are hiding the truth from parents?

Maybe they just don't have time to address their promotion of day care over mothering. Maybe they don't have time to respond to the research which shows day care is harmful.

Remember, you must take the time, if you are making a decision about placing your infant in care, to consider the facts. Keep in mind that you are being told half-truths by just about everyone involved in publishing information for parents today. If you wonder if day care is wrong for your infant, go

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