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  3. We are in a national crisis of childcare costs. Without affordable childcare, many parents cannot work, or have their working ho

We are in a national crisis of childcare costs. Without affordable childcare, many parents cannot work, or have their working ho

admin2011-08-28  81
问题     We are in a national crisis of childcare costs. Without affordable childcare, many parents cannot work, or have their working hours severely constricted. Childcare is often prohibitively expensive, and quality is uneven, depending on the caregiver. Why—and why should we care as a nation?
    There is a severe crisis of early childhood care in the US and in a number of other first world countries. Early childcare costs on average more per child, per year, than average tuition in a public university in the US.
    According to the 2011 Study released by NACCRRA (the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies), childcare costs are seen as more flexible than fixed costs such as housing and car payments. The study shows a range of annual childcare costs from $4,600 to $18,000 for fulltime infant care in a center and $3,900 to $14,000 for 4-year-old kids in a fulltime childcare center. Costs were slightly lower for children in a Family Child Care Home (FCCH). There, fulltime care for an infant ranged from $3,800 to $14,000 annually and care for a 4-year-old ranged from $3,600 to $ 11,300 yearly. They point out that the average yearly cost of tuition at a public university is $7,600.
    The families hit hardest by childcare costs are lower-income families, and many of them look for alternatives other than childcare centers as a way to save money. Childcare expenses are seen as a place where costs can be cut, and care in a private home or by a family member is cheaper than childcare centers. At the same time, childcare workers and pre-K teachers are paid less than half, on the average, of an elementary or high school teacher’s salary. In many states, the requirements for teaching pre-K or being a childcare worker are far less stringent. Costs for childcare are kept lower by not paying the caregivers well; classes are larger than ideal. It is still a large percentage of a lower-income family’s expenses, and is not a negligible amount for the middle class family, especially if more than one child needs care.
    The US performs dismally in the worldwide ranking for education in math, the sciences and reading. We are also not well ranked for child health. A 15-year longitudinal study of children, beginning in early childhood, showed there is a direct correlation between those children who have early childcare and academic performance, likelihood of staying in school, schooling beyond secondary school, and the likelihood they will not become involved in criminal activities. Those children who do not have early childcare are all the more likely to have difficulties with academic performance, a lower chance of staying in school, a lower percentage getting schooling beyond secondary school, and an increased likelihood they will become involved in criminal activities.
    On average, yearly costs for someone in the state prison system average nearly twice as much as the cost for early childcare for a year. Governmental assistance does help some families with childcare costs, but there is a limited amount of money in government programs, and it has been cut already. Government programs are not able to help numerous families, even if they are income qualified for assistance. Many families are likely to have to spend a disproportionate part of their income on childcare costs, and so will choose the least expensive option they can find.
    Childcare subsidies are likely to be among the new budget expenses cut in government spending. This translates to both fewer children receiving assistance for childcare, and increased costs borne by the families of children who are getting care. The annual amount allocated for childcare assistance was cut last year too.
    Additional studies have found that for every dollar spent on early childcare, the cost to society is amply repaid in increased earning power of those children as they grow up, and in the cost of criminal conduct society does not need to bear.
    The RAND corporation has done some studies, and in "What Does Economics Tell Us About Early Childhood Policy?" RAND says, Probably the most widely recognized intersection between economics and early childhood policy is in the analysis of the costs and benefits of early childhood programs such as home visiting and preschool. Such analysis typically compares the costs and benefits of early childhood programs to determine the "rate of return" the public will receive for money spent on such efforts.
    A growing body of program evaluations shows that investments in early childhood programs can generate government savings by, for example, reducing the need to provide social services later in life or by improving individuals’ earnings, which then generates more tax revenue.
                                                                 From Brighthub
According to the RAND corporation, the government should attach more importance to______.
选项 A、economics
B、home visiting
C、effects of the policy
D、the public’s opinions
答案C
解析 本题为细节题。根据题干我们可以参考第九段Such analysis typically compares the costs and benefits of early childhood programs to determine the“rate of return” the public will receive for money spent on such efforts．得知，发展研究有限公司认为政府应该了解早期儿童教育的投入和回报，由此可以得出选项C正确。
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