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Catching Up with France
September 24, 2013
When people try to tell you who you are, don’t believe them. You are the only custodian of your own integrity, and the assumptions made by those that misunderstand who you are and what you stand for reveal a great deal about them and absolutely nothing about you.
-Maria Popova
-Maria Popova
In an article, "Catching Up with France on Day Care" on the Sunday New York Times opinion pages, Pamela Druckerman reveals how, while living in France she "couldn't fathom government employees changing my baby's diapers." However, eventually she applied for and received a spot for her child in a neighborhood "crèche," and eventually changed her tune about child care in France...
"Before long I was dropping her off at the crèche around the corner four days a week. To my surprise, it wasn't a baby gulag. The people who worked there were caring and capable. It was subsidized by the state, with a sliding fee scale based on income, so I could afford it. My daughter seemed delighted. And, I was getting work done. Six years later, I've sent three kids through both the crèche and France's free universal public preschool and come out converted."
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Comments (3)
Displaying All 3 CommentsAECC
Chesterfield, Missouri, United States
Can’t get something for nothing—so the whole population pays to have her baby’s diaper changed instead of the parent??? Hmm I don’t think I would like my kids raised by a country. I do not want to” catch up” with France
United States
As a small business owner of a private preschool and childcare "catching up" is the last thing I want for our free enterprise in the United States! I like owning my own business and making my own decisions. The government already has too much say so in my business with all the rules and regulations. Don't get me wrong....I'm a huge advocate of children and top quality for all, but I don't see it happening by turning the child care field into the hands of the government. As far as I'm concerned I'm not impressed with their track record in spending or helping the "under priveledged". Rather than training up another generation of dependent people let's put our efforts into teaching self reliance!
CPE La For[et Enchantée
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
I would welcome The New York Times to visit us In Québec, Canada ,where we have a child care system that moves beyond statements fit for a cheese factory such as, "quality is carefully monitored." Here we speak of educator qualifications, developmentally appropriate practice, ratios and parental involvement. Our milieu is made up of early childhood educators rather than "government employees." These are professionals with training in child development and developmental programming.
Our system is not without its' challenges but in many ways it demonstrates great strides in our collective movement towards meeting the needs of Young children. I would consider Québec among the front runners in this evolution. Yours, Josie Gemma (Educator, Family Therapist)
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