Designing and assessing day care environments in hospital settings

Conclusion This article has examined: a. the increased need for child care; b. some special problems posed when this need is met within the hospital setting; and c. techniques and strategies for designing effectively functioning day care environments. Transforming the hospital environment into a child-centered day care program involves numerous and often difficult tasks. The benefits, however, of meeting employee and community needs and of aiding optimal development in young children unquestionably override the obstacles involved. We enthusiastically anticipate growth in this area of day care.Victoria Jean Dimidjian is Assistant Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education at Carlow College in Pittsburgh, PA. Mary Ann Hvidos, who was the consultant to the project and the designer of the center, is now Director of the Child Development Center at the Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. Special thanks to Micaela Young and Edward F. Verner at Mercy Hospital for their technical assistance.