14 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • April 2024
High-Quality
Daycare
PART FOUR
Series: Disappearing Daycare
Developing consensus on what is meant by "high-quality" may not be as com-
plicated as it sounds. When it comes to caring for young children and their
education, the gulfs regarding best practices, rights and wrongs and how to
define success are as yawning as the divide in the Great Rift Valley. However,
when great childcare disappears, the outpouring from families and communi-
ties belies the consensus we share, regardless of our political orientation.
In Fredericksburg, the announcement that Kids Station would be closing uni-
fied the community around saving it. Mary Washington Healthcare and the
parent company that operates Kids Station pivoted, publicly apologized, and
agreed to keep the center open until a better solution could be found. If
loss can unite us, why is it difficult to find a way to address the prob-
lem? The answer to that is complicated.
WRITTEN BY MARTIN DAVIS
"The benefits of high-quality
[early-childhood education]
for the child often last into
kindergarten, and some
studies show lasting
effects into middle
school and
high
school..."
