On child care, think quality, not zoning

Thank you for Corinne Reilly’s July 29 front-page article, “Day cares, parents feeling squeezed in Fairfax.” As a mother of a two children under age 7 and a social worker employed in early childhood education, this is an area I am passionate about. While zoning is coming across as the major issue, we need to focus on quality child care.

Providers express concern about decreased income affecting the ability to pay assistants and parents finding spaces for their children. But if providers take fewer children, they may not need assistants. Assistants could then open their own child care homes and increase the number of overall care options. Fewer children means more individual attention, fewer illnesses and an environment similar to home.   

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Fairfax has a state-licensed child care system that offers providers services to help them start their businesses. Additional services include fee collection and supportive home visits. The system allows up to seven children in each home in order to maintain high quality. Before considering increasing the zoning regulations to allow 12 children per home, we should look at what is best for our children and their futures.

Lisa Farinholt-O’Brien, Springfield

The writer is the workforce development director for the Infant/Toddler Family Day Care.