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Why Does Any of This Matter?
Why Does Any of This Matter?
The Statistics
The First Years
The First Years
The first years, especially the first two years, are incredibly important to the development and structure of the baby's mind. The relationship that the baby has with their caregiver during this time has a powerful impact on their long-term mental, emotional and physical health.
Secure Attachment
Secure Attachment
Infants that spend 20+ hours a week with a caregiver that is not their mother during the first year of life are more likely to show insecure attachment patterns.
Children that formed secure attachment have been shown to have better self-esteem, emotional regulation and relationships than those formed insecure attachment.
Primary Caregiver
Primary Caregiver
91% of infants and small children will form a secure attachment if their primary caregiver is consistent for at least a full year. Secure attachment rates drop drastically when daycare centers or schools experience turnover, have multiple caregivers on rotation for a child, or have a low caregiver to child ratio.
Daycare
Daycare
62%+ of all children in America under age 6 are enrolled in center-based child care, whether that is daycare or pre-K/preschool.
This creates a high demand, which not only drives up the cost for parents, but also increases the number of children enrolled. This means a higher chance of a low caregiver to child ratio.
Who the baby or child forms a secure attachment to matters. We believe it should be their loving parents.
So, why are so many babies and young children in daycare?
Part of the answer to that question, the part we are trying to help solve, is the financial situation of many young families
The Finances
FMLA
In Indiana, FMLA is 12 weeks of unpaid leave.
Assuming they qualify for FMLA, many new parents can't afford to lose 12 weeks of pay to take advantage of this benefit.
Daycare Costs
In many counties, daycare costs can be one of their highest monthly expenses.
The cost of child care, especially infant care, can be crippling.
The Deficit
Many families have a smaller deficit than it first appears.
After budgeting and eliminating child care costs, many families only need $200-$400 a month to make ends meet.
Staying Home
There are many mothers who want to be able to stay home but are unable to because of financial constraints.
Just over 70% of all children have two working parents.
What is FMLA?
The 'Family and Medical Leave Act' (FMLA) is a federal labor law that provides eligible employees of certain employers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year. FMLA protects the employee's job status and health benefits while they are on leave.
In order to be eligible for FMLA in Indiana, you must work for a public agency, a school, or a private company with at least 50 employees for 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours in the past year.
What Does This All Mean?
What Does This All Mean?
A loving, stable and safe environment with the person they love the most in the world is the best thing for a baby. Too often, financial constraints prevent this from being the reality for families.
The deficit isn't too big to solve. Budgeting will fix a large portion of it, subtract the cost of childcare expense, and many families only need a few hundred dollars a month.
Why Us?
The Department of Labor's Women's Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon said, "...but more federal investments are needed to ensure child care is accessible and affordable for all.”
We don't believe our dollars are best served in simply helping with daycare costs. We believe there is a better way. Better for Baby.
We would rather help provide parents the opportunity to raise their own children than simply see more affordable daycare.
That is why we do this.
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