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Another day-care crisis

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A high-profile study should not dissuade businesses or the state from supporting Arizona's youngest citizens by funding child care that prepares them for the future.

Many parents shuddered Monday when they read the Star's front-page story about a report from the longest-running study of American child care. The study found that preschoolers who spend a year or more in a day-care center are more likely to become disruptive in elementary classrooms than children who are not in child-care centers.

When children who spent that year or so in a child-care center became fifth- and sixth-graders, they were slightly more inclined to "get in fights" and be "disobedient at school."

This is not a reason to panic.

Monday's New York Times story also said that the effects are within the normal range for healthy children. Importantly, parental guidance and genetics have the strongest influence on childhood behavior.

The study is a warning that children are at risk, however, and that our community must offer quality child care with a well-trained staff in adequate facilities.

The quality of the center-based care had little impact on the aggression- and disobedience-incident reports. However, the study suggested that child-care staff members may not have the training or the time to adequately address the behaviors that linger into older childhood.

No one wants his or her child to be the kid who "argues a lot" in sixth grade, but yanking a preschooler out of child care is not an option for many parents.

The study is a warning that child-care facilities must be adequately staffed with people fully trained to deal with misbehavior.

The study reinforces the need for quality day-care and preschool centers with trained staffers that allow parents to make a living — and pay taxes. Not only does quality child care benefit children and families, it's a sound investment for the community's future.

The Star's Jane Erikson reported Sunday that the 40-year analysis of the experimental Perry Preschool Program in Ypsilanti, Mich., demonstrates that child-care programs provide long-term, cost-effective results. Former pupils, who are in their 40s, "are significantly more likely to hold jobs, earn more money and to have graduated from high school."

Recognizing this serious need for quality child care, Tucson-area businesses are helping some of Tucson's poorest schools.

For example, Erikson also reported Sunday that Primavera Preschool will have a fully equipped kitchen to prepare nutritious meals for impoverished children thanks to a $5,000 donation from Oro Valley businessman Jerry Cacciatore and his family, and a $5,000 matching grant from the Diamond Foundation.

Likewise, 10 Tucson Nursery School employees are able to take classes toward early-childhood education certificates because Tucson Electric Power and Pima Community College are covering the tuition.

We applaud businesses' investment in early-childhood programs. We are confident that helping meet the short-term needs of child-care facilities will pay long-term benefits when these children enter the work force with better educations and the ability to be more productive.

We also encourage the Legislature to increase the amount the state pays child-care providers in subsidies.

The Star has reported that child-care subsidies were increased last July 1, which was the first increase since 1998. However, the increases were based on child-care programs' 2000 costs and were significantly lower in Pima County than in other parts of the state. The state needs to increase that amount to make sure every Arizona child is in a safe, nurturing child-care environment.

We believe that can — and should — happen this legislative session.

Fiscally conservative Senate President Tim Bee, R-Tucson, said he supports increasing child-care subsidies for low-income families.

We applaud his efforts to increase the subsidy through the state budget, which is being negotiated at the present time.

The Early Child Care and Youth Development study demonstrates that caring for our society's youngest children should be a higher priority.

Search your child-care center's inspection history on the Star's online database at go.azstarnet.com/childcare