Children & Adolescents Clinic

 Home Parent's Guide

Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0

Parent Cooperative Day Care

Characteristics:

  • Organized and administered by parents, who set policy, program goals, hire director or head teacher, and manage finances.
  • Parents often assist in the classroom for a designated period of time.
  • May be full- or part-time program.
  • Most serve preschool-age children.

Advantages:

  • Usually has planned, formal program of activities.
  • More control can be exerted over your child's care than in other center-based care.
  • Costs are less.
  • Your child receives the stimulation of other children.
  • Care is likely to be reliably available.

Disadvantages:

  • May be difficult to ensure ongoing commitment from all parents.
  • Possible differences of opinion over organization and administration.
  • Time-consuming.

Written by Donna Warner Manczak, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Copyright 1999 Clinical Reference Systems