Though a progressive day care philosophy has been developed and is practised in a few communities in the United States and Canada, the day care program generally has occupied a position of secondary importance in the network of community social, services, rather than being recognized as a service which requires professional leadership and substantial financial support. In Greater Vancouver, as in other communities, concern is expressed about the adequacy of present resources to meet the needs of children who require day care. The assumption of this study is that constructive planning must be based on objectives which (a) will assure enriching experiences to the children who require care, and (b) will give to families the opportunity to select the community resource which will support and strengthen the family life. These objectives are enunciated in the dynamic approach to day care services, and have been translated into a method of practice by the Child Welfare League of America in Standards for Day Care Services.
The special needs of children which must be met in day care placement are first put in perspective through a review of current literature and discussion of present knowledge about the nature of human growth and development. These needs can be met when the day care program is viewed as a special field of Child Welfare, which requires a multi-disciplinary team approach to ensure that the total needs of the child and family are considered. The core of this study, based on a questionnaire survey, analyzes present practice in eleven day care facilities in the Greater Vancouver area, and compares it with the criteria established as acceptable by the Child Welfare League of America. This analysis is concerned particularly with the contribution of social work to the multi-disciplinary team.
The findings indicate that present services do not make adequate provision for the child's welfare, and do not evidence appreciation of the day care program's responsibility to strengthen and enhance family life. The need, for professional leadership, financial support, and community planning to establish "good standards for day care" are supported with suggestions as to how the community might take action to develop a better and more creative day care service. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/38120 |
| Date | January 1963 |
| Creators | Hughes, Mary Louise |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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