Childcare in this decade alone has come to the forefront of politics. In the political arena, education has become the number one issue concerning most voters. Parents worry that their children will be ill prepared to handle the demands set forth by the government when it comes to educational guidelines, so they are turning to preschools as a way to help their child gain an advantage.

Child care centers, in many people's minds, involves a child being checked into an institution-like building and getting to play with other kids all day. The kids watch television, eat snacks and maybe finger paint a bit.

This image may have been the standard in childcare ten or fifteen years ago, but today's parents are expecting much more for their money. If they are willing to pay out hundreds of dollars each week, per child, they want to know the child is receiving an education as well as being taken care of each day.

Some of the extra services that childcare in higher quality centers offer, can range from organic meals, foreign language education, computer instruction and even mathematics. Most children are expected to have knowledge of the basics, such as the alphabet and beginning numbers, by the time they reach elementary school. Studies have shown that the earlier a child begins learning the fundamentals, the more likely they will be to excel when reaching school.

Childcare in many cities must compete against each other. The school on street A may offer computer classes twice a day but the school on street B may offer foreign languages. School on street C may offer all of those extra activities, as well as a class in martial arts or gymnastics.

As a school offers more services, the price of admission goes up as well. The waiting list to get your child into one of those prestigious schools may become longer and longer. Some parents begin putting their names on waiting lists even before they get pregnant.

Technology and the race to acquire more education and information is taking center stage in our lives. Childcare in this realm of advancement is continuously examined to determine how a child can learn more. Critics and advocates of this trend cannot agree.

Should a child's carefree years of play be intruded upon by a continuous stream of learning? Is education, while a toddler, the key to a future filled with success? The experts cannot agree and so it is left to the parents to make up their own mind when it comes to educating and caring for their children.