Care choice spotlighted

Press, 5 November 1983, Page 14

Care choice spotlighted

Encouraging parents to “shop around” when choosing child care is one aim of the first National Child Care Week, which will start on Monday. About 35 Christchurch child care centres and creches will hold open days during the week. Information about the open days and the different types of available child care will also be on display at city malls. The Christchurch branch president of the National Child Care Association, Mrs Yvonne Wilson, said the promotion was to help parents make an educated choice about the type of child care best suited to the different needs of both

themselves and their children.

“They are not necessarily best suited by the ones that are handiest,” she said.

The other aim was a better public attitude to child care, as something that could help a child’s emotional and social growth as well as relieving parents. “I think society at large is still inclined to wonder if it is good,” Mrs Wilson said. “Mothers also feel guilty sometimes.” Christchurch had about 80 child care centres and creches. Family day-care schemes such as Barnardo’s provided supervised care in homes and there was also unsupervised “back yard,” care.