Education

WomenMatter will continuously post updates on all this and other issues as we monitor the continuing philosophical and practical debates nationwide. Please check back often for updates. Past updates are available for reference on the Education Archives page.

What’s Wrong with “Babysitting"? The Semantics of Childcare

Why don’t candidates talk about childcare when so many families pay a huge portion of their income on this service?

What about all of the families who qualify for childcare subsidies but can’t get them? There is a shortage of subsidized childcare centers, so 85% of families that qualify for subsidized care do not have access to it.

There is a childcare crisis in this country, so why don’t we hear about it more?

Most public discussions of childcare are limited to early childhood education.

Lately, there has been some discussion about preschool programs like Head Start, an organization that provides education to low-income families. Head Start focuses on preschoolers and their parents, offering preschool education; nutrition information; and medical, dental, and mental health services.

While all sides agree that Head Start is a valuable program and that the recent legislation affecting Head Start is a valuable topic, why aren’t we talking about children of all ages? Why aren’t we paying attention to parents who qualify for subsidies and can’t get them? What about parents who make too much to qualify but too little to pay for quality childcare?

Words can hurt you

When many of us discuss “early childhood education," we call it “childcare," or “babysitting." We may use language that is unlike political language. Many mothers recognize that childcare cannot be grouped with all other education issues, that it deserves its own term and its own place on the political stage. For this reason, many of us call it something different than “education."

Umbrella terms like “education" are useful to politicians –such terms are general enough to incorporate a multitude of issues and ideas. Even if a candidate mentions education, he or she does not necessarily have an action plan for childcare.

We women must vote

Although it is the responsibility of both parents, traditional gender roles assign childcare to women. Many people still think of childcare as solely the woman’s responsibility and thus a women’s issue. This may be part of the reason that candidates don’t discuss it much. For more on childcare click here.

There is a way to change candidates’ platforms in a flash. Register to vote. About 34 million women of voting age are not registered. If all of us register and vote, then candidates would not only have to talk about childcare, but everything that we care about. You can register to vote through Womenmatter - click here.

Posted on: 6/26/2003

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