PC4DC/Forum In The News
June 20th, 2010 tyko
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Tenfold Rise In Stay-At-Home Fathers In 10 Years
April 6th, 2010 tyko
The number of fathers who give up work to look after their children has risen tenfold during the past decade, according to a study.Press Association
The number of fathers who give up work to look after their children has soared tenfold during the past decade, research suggests. Around 6% of fathers, or 600,000, now consider themselves to be their child’s primary carer, said insurance firm Aviva.
Eighteen percent of couples said they shared childcare responsibilities equally.
The main reason families gave for men looking after the children was that the woman was the higher earner. The woman is the main breadwinner in 16% of families with dependent children.
The study also found that in 85% of households with children one parent had reduced working hours or given up work to look after their offspring. A third said they had done so because of the cost of childcare.
But many women who are the main earner find the role reversal difficult, with 37% saying they felt guilty about leaving their children. Fifteen percent admitted they occasionally resented the fact that their partner did not work.
Men appeared to be happier with the arrangement than women, with 75% saying they felt lucky to be able to spend so much time with their children.
Nearly a third said that looking after their offspring was more rewarding than going to work, although 10% admitted that looking after children made them feel less like a man.
Louise Colley, head of protection marketing for Aviva, said: “While both roles are equally valuable, nowadays it’s quite likely that women will be heading off to the office while men are changing nappies and doing the school run.”
Here’s a link to the entire story.
“Unruly” 10 Year Old Child Tased At Child Care
April 3rd, 2010 tykoLegal News for Indiana Personal Injury Attorneys. Two police officers have been suspended with pay after they allegedly tased an unruly 10-year-old boy at an Indiana day care center.
Indiana personal injury attorney alerts- Martinsville, Indiana police authorities used Taser on child.
Martinsville, IN—Two police officers were placed on administrative leave after they allegedly used a Taser to suppress an “out-of-control” child. The incident occurred at a Martinsville, Indiana day care center on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, according to information provide by TheIndyChannel.com.
The mayor’s office and Martinsville Police Department published a press release with regard to the Tuesday evening incident, in which two Martinsville police deputies were reportedly dispatched to Tender Teddies Day Care after receiving notification of an irrepressible 10-year-old. Upon arriving at the day care, the two unidentified police authorities reportedly found the child incessantly kicking and shouting. As a means of preventing the child from harming anyone, including himself, the officers reportedly slapped and then tased the young boy. Tuesday’s episode was not the first incident in which police were called to the day care concerning the same disorderly child.
The According to the news release, “While the department will not condone the unnecessary treatment of any subject, regardless of age, in any apprehension situation, additional comments will not be made pending results of the final investigation”, which was being conducted by the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department. Heath Lancaster, owner of Tender Teddies Day Care, would not comment on the matter.
Health Care Reform And Children
March 30th, 2010 tykoOn kids’ care, insurance weaseling begins.
By Derrick Z. Jackson
BostonGlobe Columnist / March 30, 2010
IN THE days before the health care bill was passed, President Obama vowed it would “end the worst practices of insurance companies. . . insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.’’
When the bill passed last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proclaimed, “We are hearing from families who are so thrilled because no longer will their children be denied coverage because they have a pre-existing condition. That starts this year.’’
Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa said, “You have a guarantee that your kids will be covered even if they have a pre-existing condition. . . These guarantees are not a promise. They are part of the law right now. And we are not going to let them take it away from the American people.’’
Here’s a link to the rest of the article.
Grandparents and Childcare in Korea
March 23rd, 2010 tykoFrom donga.com
| Grandparents and Childcare |
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| MARCH 23, 2010 02:58 |  |
Probably because I’ve grown older, I agree more with a mother-in-law than a daughter-in-law when it comes to jokes about their relationship. One joke is the one about “the three mistaken women” – a woman who mistakenly considers her daughter-in-law her daughter; a woman who mistakenly thinks of her son-in-law as her son, and a woman who mistakenly thinks of her husband as her son. Another joke is not all about laughter: a mother-in-law in the affluent Gangnam area of Seoul who carries her grandson or granddaughter on her back, bragging that her daughter-in-law is a doctor or has a Ph.D.
The conflict between double-income couples who want their parents to perform childcare and older couples who shun caring for their grandchildren is more serious than thought. Grandmothers share information on how to make their daughters or daughters-in-law take care of their own children: chewing a spoonful of rice before giving it to their grandchildren, washing their grandchildren’s hair with laundry soap, or teaching the Korean alphabet using a dialect. Certain elderly couples have left Seoul for the provinces by the time their children get married and settle down in the capital. Newlyweds want to live near their parents to get their help.
Taking care of children is exhausting and time consuming. One saying goes that working in a field is preferable to taking care of children. A survey also shows that people who raise grandchildren grow old faster than those who do not. Grandmothers who bring up grandchildren are more likely to have spine problems because they have to carry them or take them on their backs. Since many senior citizens seek quality of life today, they do not welcome caring for their grandchildren, which speeds up aging. One elderly woman said, “Grandsons are really cute when they come, but cuter when they leave.” This means they welcome their grandchildren when they stay for a short time but would rather not take care of them.
Many grandfathers actively participate in a “pre-grandparent class” run by Guro Community Health Center in southwestern Seoul. When a “pre-grandmother class” opened last year, many wanted the same class for grandfathers, so the center decided to expand the scope of its students. Since grandmothers cannot care for their grandchildren alone, grandfathers want to help their wives. Senior citizens who carry baby dolls look awkward but are serious. They learn how to change diapers, prepare baby formula, and sterilize baby bottles. This is a new trend in a rapidly aging society with low birthrate that has no option other than having grandparents help in childcare.
Editorial Writer Chung Sung-hee (shchung@donga.com)
Vatican Denies Cover Up Of Sexual Abuse…
March 19th, 2010 tyko… and I believe in my heart of hearts that Pope Benedict XVI [unfairly nicknamed, "Ratzi the Nazi"] would never cover up such atrocities. Far be it. If anything, the former Hitler Youth was “only following orders.” Now, presumably, the Pope takes orders from…
But, just to be on the safe side, however [where there's smoke, often times there's fire], I would highly recommend never leaving your child alone with any one you won’t trust beyond doubt, and no alone time with any man in a dress, or an “outfit.” It’s akin to having Col. Sanders babysit your chickens. After all, thousands of rotten eggs, do ruin the barrel.
I’ll even take it one step farther [or further, if you prefer]. In light of what we’ve learned about the wide spread practice of [shall I say?] “questionable frolicking” at the Roman Catholic Church, parents should be held complicit if their child is abused by a Clergy-person… Don’t shoot the messenger, knowledge is power. With that in mind, here’s yet another story:
The head of new task-force set up to deal with sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests in the Pope’s former archdiocese in Germany said the group had been overwhelmed by a “tsunami” of claims.
Protect your children. Keep them out of harm’s way [harm pictured bellow]. 
Day Care Provider Cleared Of Abuse
March 14th, 2010 tykoFrom the Tulsa World
By BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer 
Published: 3/14/2010 3:31 AM
Last Modified: 3/14/2010 5:34 AM
A woman who operated a day care in her Broken Arrow home has been acquitted of charges that she abused two small children there.
Tulsa County jurors on Friday found Sherry Yvonne Smith, 43, not guilty of two felony counts of child abuse by injury.
She was charged with abusing Zachary Sprick — then almost 11 months old — on Nov. 14, 2008, at her home child care business in the 1500 block of North Yellowood Avenue.
Investigators received information that resulted in Smith subsequently being charged with abusing Evan England — then 6 months old — at her child care in June 2008.
Defense lawyer William Lunn said expert witnesses supported his contention that there was no evidence that Smith “did anything to those children that caused their injuries.”
There are other explanations, not involving Smith, for the boys’ medical conditions, he said.
Assistant District Attorney John Lackey maintained that Smith inflicted brain injuries to both boys by shaking them. Lackey theorized that the boys had been “crying and wouldn’t be quiet.”
Both boys were detected with bleeding on the brain. Smith admitted that she “purposely shook” Zachary, the prosecutor said.
A report released in 2009 by the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, which described this as a “near death” episode, said Smith indicated that Zachary had a seizure during a diaper change on Nov. 14, 2008.
Smith, who called 911 and the baby’s mother, told a doctor
that she shook the boy five to six times in an effort to get him to respond, according to that report.
Lunn said Smith shook Zachary “mildly” and that didn’t cause his injuries and wasn’t “consistent with a genuine shaken-baby case.”
Charge: Two Gave Kids Sleep Suplement At Day Care
March 11th, 2010 tykoCINCINNATI — Two former Ohio day care workers accused of slipping an over-the-counter dietary supplement into candy and giving it to their charges to help them sleep at nap time were charged with misdemeanors Wednesday.
Pamela Hartley, 56, of Cleves, and Donna Scott, 41, of Cincinnati, have been charged with three counts each of child endangering and three counts each of misrepresentation by childcare provider, Hamilton County prosecutor Joseph Deters said. The women could be sentenced as many as 18 months in jail if convicted.
Parents had told investigators their children often seemed groggy after leaving the day care. The charges are the most serious that can be applied, Deters said.
Hartley was the director and Scott was the lead infant teacher at Covenant Apostolic Church Day Care in the Cincinnati suburb of Springfield Township, the prosecutor said. They were fired from the day care after the allegations surfaced in December.
Court records had no attorneys listed for Hartley and Scott, and there were no phone listings for the women in Cincinnati or Cleves.
The church’s pastor, Shelly Hendricks, would say only that the church and day care have cooperated with authorities. Hendricks said the day care was still operating but declined to say how many children are enrolled.
A co-worker notified police in December that Hartley and Scott gave the children melatonin in candy.
“I understand how upset the parents of these children must be,” Deters said in his statement. “Day care workers are responsible for a very valuable commodity and must be held to a high standard.”
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps control sleeping and waking cycles. Possible side effects of the supplement form include dizziness, abdominal discomfort, headaches, confusion, sleepwalking and nightmares, according to a Mayo Clinic web site.
The site also says that long-term effects are not known and that it may not be safe for anyone younger than age 20.
The University of Maryland Medical Center Web site suggests that doctors be consulted before giving melatonin to a child.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Ten Tax Breaks For Parents
March 9th, 2010 tykoMarch 9, 2010, 11:33 am
By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ [New York Times Blog]There’s one benefit to having children besides the joy they can bring you: tax breaks.
CCH, a provider of tax information and services, released a list this week of ten ways the tax code benefits parents by helping to defray the costs of raising and educating children. Here’s the list from CCH below.
1.) Personal Exemption: A reduction of taxable income of $3,650 in 2010 for each dependent child under age 19 or, if the dependent is a full-time student, under age 24. For divorced parents filing separately, the exemption generally goes to the parent who has custody for the greater part of the year.
2.) Child Credit: A reduction of tax of $1,000 per child, which begins to phase out when adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 for single filers and $110,000 for joint filers. This credit may also be partly refundable depending on the filer’s income.
3.) Child Care Tax Credit: A credit based on child care expenses for children up to age 13, or older children if they are physically or mentally incapable of caring for themselves. The credit would be taken against maximum qualifying expenses of $3,000 for one qualifying dependent and $6,000 for two or more. It also equals 35 percent of qualifying expenses for taxpayers with adjusted gross income up to $15,000 and decreases to 20 percent of allowable expenses for adjusted gross income levels of $43,000 or more.
4.) Adoption Credit: A maximum credit of $12,150 for a regular adoption, with credit amounts phased out at incomes between $182,180 and $222,180 for both single filers and joint filers. For a special-needs adoption, the credit is figured without regard to the actual expenses paid or incurred in the year the adoption becomes final.
5.) Earned Income Tax Credit: Amounts increase for eligible taxpayers with children. Size of increase depends on income level and number of children.
6.) Coverdell Education Savings Accounts: Contributions to these accounts are limited to $2,000 per year and earnings in the accounts grow tax-free. Withdrawals also are tax-free if used to pay for qualified educational expenses and can be used to pay for tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment from kindergarten to post-secondary school.
7.) Qualified Tuition Programs (529 Plans): Investment earnings in these plans are not taxed if withdrawals are used for qualified expenses. Contributions to state-sponsored programs are partially or fully deductible on some state tax returns. Contribution limits for the plans are set by the state or educational institutions sponsoring the plan and may be in excess of $300,000, but a contribution in excess of $65,000 by any individual ($130,000 for joint filers) in one year could restrict those persons’ ability to make additional contributions in further years without being subject to gift tax.
8.) Bond Interest: For 2009, interest on proceeds of qualified savings bonds (specifically, Series I bonds or qualified Series EE bonds issued after 1989) cashed to pay education expenses is tax free for joint filers with less than $104,900 in adjusted gross income and is partially tax free for those with adjusted gross income of $104,900 to $134,900. The comparable income limits for single filers are $69,950 to $84,950. For 2010 returns, the phase out ranges are $105,100 to $135,100 for joint returns and $70,100-$85,100 for single filers.
9.) Higher Education Tuition Deduction: An above the line deduction for qualifying educational expenses of up to $4,000 at an accredited post-secondary institution. The deduction is reduced to $2,000 at adjusted gross income above $65,000 ($130,000 for joint filers) and is not available if adjusted gross income exceeds $80,000 ($160,000 for joint filers). This must be coordinated with other educational exclusions and cannot be used for anyone for whom the American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit is claimed.
10.) American Opportunity, Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits: For 2009 and 2010, the American Opportunity Credit pretty much replaces the Hope and Lifetime Learning credits for undergraduate expenses. It provides a credit of up to $2,500 per student per year for the first four years of post-secondary qualified tuition and expenses. Up to 40 percent of the credit is refundable, depending on income. Residents of certain states who are in the “Midwestern Disaster Area” may do better choosing the Hope Credit for 2009 expenses.
Would A ‘Mannie’ Tickle Your Fancy?
March 6th, 2010 tykoThe Irish Times – Tuesday, March 2, 2010
BRIAN O’CONNELL
With little demand for their services, male nannies are a rare breed in Ireland
BRITNEY SPEARS has one. Mrs Doubtfire was one in disguise. Yet, for Irish society, the male nanny or “mannie” is still not an option for the vast majority of families.
Could rising unemployment go some way towards addressing the obvious gender bias within Irish childcare? Don’t bank on it. It is estimated that as little as 1 per cent of childcare workers in Ireland are male.
Recent child abuse scandals have added to public insecurity about men caring for children in a professional setting. And it’s unlikely this will change in the immediate future.
Of the four main nanny agencies working in Dublin, none of them have male nannies available for hire. Rebekah Lyons, director of Executive Nannies, can recall placing only a handful of male nannies in Irish homes in the past decade, and says there is no increased demand for male au pairs or childminders, despite signs that their services are increasingly sought after in the US.
“Male nannies in Ireland are few and far between,” she says. “We have placed maybe two or three in the last 10 years. These have been very successful placements though, due in large part to the fact that the guys were seriously professional supernannies.”
Lyons says the requests for male nannies came from one family with a special needs child and another family who had two robust boys who they felt would benefit from a male influence.
“In one case it was with a special needs child who was approaching age 10 or 11, so they needed someone who was strong and who could lift the child. A male carer was more suited than a female one,” Lyons explains.
“In another position we had a fairly high-profile family and the parents did a lot of travel. They had two boys, maybe aged eight and 10, and they were real sporty young lads. At the time we had a male nanny on our books and we asked if they wanted to meet him. A lot of families aren’t open to it, but this family said fine. He has been with them for about six years now and it has worked very successfully.”
Susan Dunn, director of the Belgrave Agency, says that last year she had a request for a male nanny but could not locate anyone in Ireland to fill the position.
Eventually, her organisation had to liaise with an overseas agency to fill the post. “We place thousands of nannies every year, in both part-time or temporary work at home and abroad. I was excited when we got the request for a male nanny. But that quickly changed when it took so long to try to fill the post.
“I notice with some foreign clients living here now in Ireland, they say that male nannies are common where they were located before. Ireland doesn’t seem to be ready for it yet.”
While Irish male nannies are hard to come by, for those men working in other areas of the childcare profession, there is an effort under way to have their views and voices heard.
A new organisation called Men in Childcare recently made a DVD to dispel some of the negative stereotyping that exists towards male childcare workers.
Founder member Tim Moran, a childcare worker, says attitudes are changing, but it remains a slow process. Originally from the US, Moran has been working at the Wallaroo Playschool in Cork for eight years.
“I would say that 1-2 per cent of childcare workers in Ireland are male. There are not a lot of men working in childcare in America either though. I think it’s partly because society doesn’t see this as work for men. That is starting to change in that you do need a qualification to do it and it is skilled work.”
With the recent downturn, Moran says there are slightly more men looking to the profession. He says that previously the big concern for families was that male nannies or childcare workers were viewed with suspicion.
“The big thing that is on people’s mind is the possibility that a man could abuse their children. But the fact is that childcare facilities have extensive policies and procedures in place that would prevent any adult from abusing a child.”
Despite this, even Moran himself admits it can still be hard for society to accept male childcare workers. “When people ask me what I do, it doesn’t roll off my tongue to give my profession. It’s not that easy to say I work with kids.”
YOU’VE GOT MALE: WOULD YOU HIRE A MALE NANNY?
Oonagh Montague, living in Kildare, and mother of Theo and Eve: “I think it would be irrelevant if it was a male or female childcare worker. The bottom line is that you have to go on gut instinct. The minute you meet the person – that is what youjudge it on. The vast majority of people, though, would say no to male nannies, and be utterly put off giving it a shot because of everything we have learned about paedophiles and so on.”
Angie Parry, living in Clare, mother of Caoimhe and Conor: “I would have no problem with a male nanny. I think it would also be important for single parents who might like the option if they felt the kids needed a male influence. I just think it’s not the done thing.
Suzanne Lindsay, lives in Dublin, and mother of James and Zara: “I know what I should say, but I have a reluctance against nannies full stop. We have our kids in a creche. A nanny would be cheaper and more cost effective, but I’m not sure. If I interviewed a male nanny I would be more reluctant. That’s because of the whole stereotyping and from hearing cases of abuse on the news. I’m aware that is a complete prejudice. The other side of it is if there was a male worker in the creche I would be delighted.”