Reference no: EM133143812

Reyna Gonzales has offered to watch her best friend's children several afternoons each week. Manuela has had difficulty finding child care because her new job requires her to work on different days each week. She assured Reya this arrangement would only last a short time, but 2 months later Manuela is still dropping her children off on a regular basis. In the meantime, three of Manuela's coworkers have also asked Reya to watch their children every morning during the week. As a result, Reya now has seven children ranging in age from 15 months to 7 years who are in her care 4 days a week.

Reya's friends appreciate her willingness to continue caring for their children while they work. However, Reya is worried that the neighbors will report her to the local licensing authorities because she is caring for too many children on a daily basis. Reya enjoys working with the children and has considered opening a child care business in her home. However, she is reluctant to contact the licensing agency because she has no formal training in early childhood and is unsure that her house and yard will pass a safety inspection. Reya also knows that her friends depend on her child care and could lose their jobs if they are unable to locate openings for their children in an affordable early childhood program.

Prepare a two-paragraph essay in which you identify and describe the attributes of high-quality early childhood program. Explain how the need to improve program quality can be balanced with the ability to meet an increased demand for early childhood programs.