Benefits of child care co-operatives

Babysitting co-ops provide parents with affordable, dependable babysitters. They also give parents and children an opportunity to make friends in their neighbourhood. Parents can exchange parenting tips, and perhaps even toys and clothes. Preschool and daycare co-ops benefit children, parents, and teachers.

Children

In preschool co-ops, children have access to toys and educational equipment that are not available at home. They have a chance to develop positive relationships with adults other than their parents, and to socialise and co-operate with other children. Because of the high adult to child ratio, children generally get more attention than they would in a regular preschool. They develop a positive attitude toward school in a supportive, homelike environment. They also benefit from the education in child development that their parents receive through seminars and classroom participation.

Parents

Through child care co-ops, parents have a chance to become involved in their children's education, and to create the philosophy behind it. Co-ops also give parents opportunities to make friends with other parents, and to compare stories and child-raising tips. Parents come to know their own children better by observing how they interact with a variety of people in a group setting. They gain new skills by serving on committees, learning behaviour management techniques from Early Childhood Educators, and attending evening seminars. These experiences can be especially important for parents who do not work outside the home, as it gives them valuable experience to add to their résumés when they return to work. Child care co-ops are often less expensive than private preschools and daycares.

Teachers

Teachers do not have to be involved in administrative activities, as they would likely be in private preschools and daycares. Since they see parents regularly, they have a chance to learn more about their students by becoming familiar with their home lives. Teachers who work successfully with parents can benefit from having a variety of people with different talents in the classroom.