Listen to this

Carers ... or not?

Brenda Farley was a Child Care student at Dutchen Community College in Pough Keepsie NY in the 1980s when she contributed this observation to Child Care Work in Focus

As a prospective worker entering the field of child care, I viewed all child care workers as special people ... people who were willing to give their time and best efforts towards the task of making life a little bit easier for different types of children by caring, showing concern and helping them learn how to cope with society. I realized that this was no easy task. A lot is demanded from a child care worker. He or she is responsible for his children and the children demand attention from these workers. In most cases, there is a big turnover of staff because they receive very little pay in comparison to the responsibilities and tasks they are required to fulfill. I felt that the workers continued with their jobs, although being underpaid, because they were more concerned about the child's welfare.

I, too, was concerned. I became interested, and I transferred to a college where a child care curriculum was offered. With the influence and encouragement of my supervisors, and the information and education from my courses, my interest and concern for child care soared.

I had the opportunity to work at an agency for my field placement. While working at this particular agency for several weeks, I faced a startling revelation – not all child care workers care: some workers in this agency showed little, if any, concern towards the needs and interests of these children. They did not take an active part in preparing or carrying out any recreational activity. The activity takes up a large portion of the day in this agency. Another portion of the day, while I was there, was dinner. Some counselors wouldn’t go to dinner with their children. These counselors found much more interesting things to do to occupy their time, such as sewing, talking to other counselors, or talking to friends on the telephone. How do the children feel? I feel that this is neglect. The child is not given the attention, support or encouragement that is needed to develop a good self-concept and a strong ego.

Society feels that the child was “supposedly" brought out of an unhealthy environment, away from people who could not, or would not provide for the child's needs. The child was then placed in an environment that may provide housing and food, but lacks the staff who are enthused about and willing to assist the children over the hurdles of daily events, through the mud hole of a poor self-concept, and down the home stretch to adequately prepare them for the future that lies ahead of them.

I realize that there are many child care workers who do care and are concerned about the welfare of these children. To each of you to whom this applies, I want you to know that this does encourage prospective students to continue in this chosen vocation. Maybe through your efforts and ours, we can make the children's lives more worthwhile.

If we look at life as a race we all have to run, then we’re all in this together. Some children lack the proper directions for the race. We, as child care workers, can give these children direction. Better yet, we can run the race with them.

Are we child care workers who give directions and run the race with the children, or are we child care workers who trip the children so they have no possible chance to win this race? Something to think about.

This feature was published in the Winter 1978 issue of Child Care Work in Focus (NOCCWA) and is reproduced with permission of the Academy of Child and Youth Care Practice.