Quality Care for Children

Re “Study Says Day Care Affects Bonding but Not Learning,” April 4: The latest study on child care has made it clear: Young children learn and grow when their caregivers give them plenty of attention and interaction--whether that caregiver is Mommy or a day care provider.

A key component of “quality” in child care is the number of children per caregiver. I’d say the reasonable limit is three babies per adult.

The average cost of infant care in my county, Alameda, is $159 per week per baby. So with three infants, the average caregiver would take in less than $2,000 a month. That’s hardly enough to live on, let alone to cover facility costs, insurance, supplies, training and the rest.

Strapped parents can’t afford to pay more for child care. And caregivers already live at the brink of poverty. Clearly, it’s time for government and business to step up to bat and share the costs of this most essential investment.

Affording child care is no longer just a family issue, it’s a political issue. We need to get serious about investing in quality child care if we are to have a healthy community and solid future.

KATIE WOODRUFF

Berkeley

* Gee, isn’t it strange that we never seem to see studies about the effect of day care on the father-child bond? Or the effect of the father being at work all day? You might almost think there was some sort of agenda regarding working mothers.

PAMELA PETTLER

Los Angeles