Hernandez D J
Marriage and Family Statistics Branch, U.S. Bureau of the Census, USA.
Future Child. 1995 Winter;5(3):145-60.
This article provides a historical analysis of how demographic changes in the organization of American family life from the mid-1800s to the present have shaped the demand for programs to complement the efforts of families to educate and care for their children. The author asserts that the United States is in the midst of a second child care revolution. The first occurred in the late 1800s, when families left farming to enable fathers to take jobs in urban areas and when compulsory free public schooling was established for children age six and above. The second has developed over the past 55 years as the proportion of children under six living in families with two wage earners or a single working parent has escalated and propelled more and more young children into the early childhood care and education programs discussed throughout this journal issue. Looking to the future, the author sees indications that the demand for early childhood care and education programs will continue to grow while the needs of the children to be served will become increasingly diverse. To meet these dual pressures, the author argues that public funding for early childhood programs--like funding for public schools--is justified by the value such programs have for the broader society.
本文对19世纪中叶至今美国家庭生活结构中的人口变化如何影响了对相关项目的需求进行了历史分析，这些项目旨在辅助家庭对子女进行教育和照料。作者断言，美国正处于第二次儿童保育革命之中。第一次发生在19世纪末，当时家庭离开农场，父亲们得以在城市地区就业，同时为6岁及以上儿童建立了免费义务教育。第二次则在过去55年中逐渐发展，因为生活在双亲都有工作或单亲工作家庭中的6岁以下儿童比例不断上升，促使越来越多的幼儿进入了本期杂志所讨论的幼儿保育和教育项目。展望未来，作者发现有迹象表明，对幼儿保育和教育项目的需求将持续增长，而需要服务的儿童的需求也将日益多样化。为应对这双重压力，作者认为，为幼儿项目提供公共资金——如同为公立学校提供资金一样——因其对更广泛社会的价值而具有合理性。
