Recommendations

These recommendations come from day-care workers, parents, and professionals in the field: * A national credentialing system should be devised to help parents find home day care and to raise the quality of that which is already provided.

* Home day-care workers should be bolstered by inservice training through the community or local school system. Adequate backup should be provided for those who need vacations or special time off.

* Local communities should come up with their own alternatives to structured child care -- e.g., supervised playground activities; block-parent projects (some place where youngsters can report after school); care cooperatives; and exchanges.

* Means should be devised to monitor the quality of day care and to report abuses. Suggestions include a hot line or check system to report situations where health and safety standards are below par or ignored; and a toll-free phone number for complaints.

* Communities should make available, through the schools and social services, evening counseling for working parents to discuss particular needs of children in care, as well as delinquency, alc ohol, and drug abuse.