Time to Care: Redesigning Child Care to Promote Education, Support Families and Build Communities

Abstract

Lombardi, J. (2003). Time to Care: Redesigning Child Care to Promote Education, Support Families and Build Communities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 232 pp. Paperback ISBN: 1-59213-990-7, $13.00. Time to Care is a comprehensive guide to a family support system of care and education for all children in United States from one of our country's leading and long- standing childcare advocates. Joan Lombardi, former and first Associate Commissioner of the Child Care Bureau in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has written a highly readable text that would be an excellent complement to any university course that includes child care, early education, or family policy in its focus. The book also could function as reading material for the lay audience interested in the history and promise of effective child care in the United States, or for professionals who need a concise, referenced review. Time to Care frames child care in this country as both work support for families and education and care settings for the healthy development of children. With both dimensions given equal importance, Lombardi explained how our current market-based system of child care is not adequate; she offered a guide for how the country must sustain a system of care and education for children and youth that offers families supportive services and connections and build on the good will and abilities of communities. It is a complex picture to be sure, but Lombardi has taken the task head on and offers a clear and concise explanation. Time to Care begins with an overview of the current situation and Lombardi's suggestions for ways to reframe the childcare issue. The system of support that she proposed would be supported by public dollars with an investment from all partners, including businesses that benefit from the labor of parents. The quality of programs would be high and offer supports and incentives for childcare teachers to reach higher levels of education and to remain in the field to share their years of experience and expertise. Lombardi presented information in the first chapter, as she does throughout the book, with statistical evidence and findings from large-scale studies, historical perspective, and some personal insight from her 30 years in the field. The first chapter lays the foundation for the book's central chapters, which explored in more detail the elements of the issue: a review of child care in the United States in the 20th century, child care as quality early childhood education and family support, and the value of quality after-school programs. …