ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, August 11, 1996 TAG: 9608130001
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
Summer may still be in the air, but the start of school is just around the corner. Now is the time when parents are looking for child care, as fall is traditionally the time when room opens for new children at day-care centers as older children leave to start school.
But parents should be forewarned: The quality, price, services and facilities of the New River Valley's child-care providers vary widely. There also may not be enough spaces for all the children who need day care.
Some child-care facilities fill up early, so parents need to start looking and make their decisions soon, say local child-care consultants.
With more than three dozen child-care facilities of different types and locations in the New River Valley, parents have a lot of options. They can put their children in full-day care, morning-only or afternoon-only care, or before- and after-school care.
They can choose a center run by church groups or schools or have their child cared for in someone's private home. Some area providers accept special-needs kids.
Each sets its own hours of operation, with some opening as early as 6 a.m. and closing as late as 6 p.m. Some accept children on a drop-in basis for a daily fee. Centers also differ on the ages of children they take, with the range being about 6 weeks to 13 years.
The amenities and services area day-care facilities offer include outdoor play areas, meals or snacks, and transportation to school for school-age children.
High-quality day-care programs can benefit both children and their families, according to research compiled by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Mothers say they see themselves and their children as more competent, according to the research, partially because day care can allow mothers to pursue educational or employment opportunities and increase their earning power.
Children who have been in high-quality programs adjust better to kindergarten and school and score higher on tests of cognitive ability and language skills, according to the research. Children who attend day care show greater sociability and are rated friendlier by their parents and peers.
Jean Vogler, assistant director of Virginia Tech's child-care laboratories, stressed that the findings apply only to high-quality day-care programs. Other forms of child care may offer their own unique benefits, she said.
All day-care providers, including those who care for children in their own homes, must be licensed by the state if they care for six or more children, according to a law which went into effect July 1. (Previously the limit was eight children.) A center may also be accredited by a child-care organization, such as the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, though that is not required.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Children enjoy outside activities atby CNBRainbow Riders Day Care
in Blacksburg. color.