Making a difference for children: the medical community's role in improving child care

The quality of child care for the majority of children in the United States is poor to mediocre. The lack of good quality child care has serious consequences for family stability, work force productivity, and child health and development. The medical community, especially pediatricians, family practitioners, nurses, and nurse practitioners, can play five key roles in helping to ensure that every child has a solid early foundation: 1) they can become trusted sources of support for parents, who are often isolated from their extended families and unsure about their new roles as parents; 2) they can give child care providers in the community information about health and safety practices; 3) they can provide preventive and diagnostic services to children in child care programs; 4) they can act as advocates for improved services to children and families; and 5) they can refer parents and siblings for care. This paper describes some of these efforts and calls for their replication in communities throughout the country. It also describes policies in other countries that have improved children's health and development and reduced child poverty and its related impact on health.