Chris Bennett: A close-to-home solution for accessible childcare | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

This, this is Yoli.

這是尤莉。

I went to her childcare program that she started out of her home

我以前會去她在家開設的托兒方案，

in the community where I grew up.

就在我長大的社區裡。

I was in her program when I was four.

我是四歲時去的。

Over the years, she served hundreds of children in our community.

這些年來，她在我們的社區 服務了數百名孩子。

Her program was so fun.

她的方案很好玩。

We played outside, we played hide and seek,

我們會去外面玩，我們會玩躲貓貓，

there was play dough, there were blocks.

有黏土、有積木。

Yoli would ask us things like,

尤莉會這樣問我們：

“How are you feeling today?

「你今天覺得如何？

Are you feeling happy?

你覺得開心嗎？

Are you feeling sad?

你覺得傷心嗎？

Are you feeling angry?”

你覺得生氣嗎？」

She really helped us make sense of the world.

她真的協助了我們理解這個世界。

She really focused on communication.

她很著重溝通。

It was a mixed-age classroom.

那是間混齡教室。

There were children that were infants, there were toddlers.

那邊有些孩子還是嬰兒，

也有學步兒童 。

The older children learned to lead,

較年長的孩子會學習領導。

the younger children learned from the older children.

較年幼的孩子向較年長的孩子學習。

As it turns out, we were doing incredibly important work in her program.

後來發現，我們在她的方案中 做的事十分重要。

People often think that the real learning starts in kindergarten,

一般認為，真正的學習始於幼稚園，

but 90 percent of our brains develop between the ages of zero and five.

但我們的大腦有九成是在 零歲到五歲之間發展的。

And far too many children don't get access

且有太多孩子無法取得這種

to the type of early learning experiences I had in Yoli's program.

我在尤莉的方案中 取得的早期學習經驗，

Whether that's through a childcare program in a home, a center,

不論是透過

家中的托兒方案、托兒中心、

a nanny, a caring parent, a grandparent.

褓姆、有愛心的父母， 祖父母，都無法取得。

In fact, 175 million children age three to six

事實上，有一億七千五百萬名 三到六歲的孩子完全無法取得。

don't get access at all.

In the US, 51 percent of Americans live in areas called “childcare deserts,”

在美國，有 51% 的美國人

住在所謂的「托兒沙漠」區，

where there's not enough childcare.

即托兒服務不足的地區。

And what this shortage does is it leaves parents having to choose

這種短缺的後果就是

父母必須要在職涯 和照顧孩子之間做取捨。

between their careers and childcare.

Even in places where there's free childcare

就算有些地方有免費的托兒服務

or public pre-K options,

或公立的學前選項，

there's not enough spots.

名額還是不足。

So parents are forced to drive across town

父母被迫要開車到鎮的另一邊，

for options that don't meet their needs.

才有不符合他們需求的選項。

They're forced to wait in these really long wait lists

他們被迫要去排 非常長的等候名單，

and succumb to lotteries to try to get into programs.

且還要看抽籤結果決定 他們能不能參加方案。

And this shortage isn't due to us not trying.

造成這短缺的原因， 並非我們沒有去試著做。

In the '70s, we pinned our hopes on television to solve our problems.

七○年代時，我們把解決 問題的希望放在電視上。

Today, the touch-screen generation's learning how to count, how to read,

現今，觸控螢幕世代學習如何算數、

如何閱讀，是靠 APP 和遊戲。

using apps and games,

but apps and games can't care for our children.

但 APP 和遊戲無法 照顧我們的孩子。

Apps and games can't change diapers,

APP 和遊戲無法換尿布，

can't ensure our children are getting access

無法確保我們的孩子能取得

to the appropriate socio-emotional growth that they need.

他們需要的適當社會情緒成長。

And there hasn't been enough money, enough teachers,

且沒有足夠的經費、足夠的老師、

enough classrooms.

足夠的教室。

We've tried everything, we haven't been able to solve it.

我們什麼都試過了， 仍然無法解決問題。

So what if we could live in a world where we did have enough childcare,

如果在世界上能有足夠的兒童照顧，

where parents had a multitude of options to choose from in their communities?

父母在他們的社區內就有 許多選項可以選擇，會如何？

Maybe the answer is right under our noses.

也許答案就在眼前。

Maybe Yoli was onto something:

也許尤莉走對了方向：

our homes.

我們的家。

Rather than investing trillions of dollars building new buildings,

與其花數兆美金去建造新大樓，

what if we empowered more people

我們為什麼不協助更多人 在他們家裡提供托兒方案？

to start childcare programs out of their homes?

Based on our data, it costs about $25,000 per spot

根據我們的資料，

每個名額約要花兩萬五千美金，

if you create a commercial space for childcare.

這是創造托兒商業空間的成本。

That’s 25,000 times each child you want to serve in that program,

也就是兩萬五千美金乘以

你在方案中服務的每個孩子，

where you can do that for a fraction,

其實你可以只花一點點錢，

a couple of hundred dollars, if you do it in a home-based program.

只花幾百美金，就可以 在家中開設托兒方案。

And we can make it easier for parents to find these programs.

我們可以讓父母 更容易找到這些方案。

Software is great for this.

此時軟體很有用，我們可以 用軟體讓大家輕鬆開設方案，

So with software, we can make it easy for folks to start programs,

和父母連結。

get connected to parents.

Decades ago, who would have thought

數十年前，誰會想到

我們能創造出駕駛的軟體網路，

that we would be able to create a software network of drivers,

connect them to millions of passengers

讓他們能和數百萬名乘客連結，

and solve the transportation needs,

解決交通需求，或者扮演 解決交通需求的角色，

or play a role in solving the transportation needs,

協助快速成長的城市？

of our fastest-growing cities?

Or take our spare bedrooms and apartments

誰又會想到可以 把我們多餘的臥室和公寓

and make them available online

放到線上創造出一個產業，

and create an industry that competes with the largest hotel chains?

完全不輸給最大的連鎖飯店？

So my dream is to create that kind of network

我的夢想就是創造出那種網路

but for home-based childcare:

用在居家托兒服務；

to create a movement where we empower people

發起一個運動，協助大家

to start childcare programs out of their homes

在自己家中開設托兒方案，

and play a role in solving the challenges in their communities.

扮演協助他們的社區 解決難題的角色。

These programs could be more affordable,

這些方案會比較平價，

they could be nimble, safe.

會很靈活、安全，

They could be laboratories of innovation.

可以成為創新的實驗室。

And I'm one of the entrepreneurs

我和一些企業家

who's working on advancing home-based childcare.

努力在發展居家托兒。

And what I'm going to share with you

而我接下來要和各位分享

is how I think we can turn that idea into a reality.

我認為我們能如何實現這個想法。

So first off, when it comes to starting a program,

首先，若要創辦一個方案， 我們要確保方案很安全，

we want to make sure that the program is safe, it's high quality,

品質優良，

it's a program parents can trust.

是父母可以信賴的方案。

這是克莉絲汀娜。

This is Christina.

Christina started a childcare program out of her home in San Francisco.

克莉絲汀娜在她舊金山的 家中開設了一個托兒方案。

She started with her husband.

她和先生一起經營。

When she decided to start a program,

當她決定要開設方案時， 她得向州政府登記。

she had to get registered with the state.

她得到州政府的許可。

She got licensed by the state.

They came out and visited her program,

他們會派人來看她的方案，

made sure she was operating a safe program.

確保她經營的方案是安全的。

She was background-checked along with her husband.

她和她先生的背景都被調查過。

如果她的方案有任何問題， 任何違規事件，

And if there's any issues that she experiences in her program,

any violation,

she shares this information with the state,

她要把這些資訊提供給州政府，

and the state makes it publicly available.

州政府會把資訊公開。

To make this work,

要成功，我們要確保

we've got to make sure it's easy for parents to get this information

父母在為孩子做選擇時， 要很容易就能取得這些資訊。

when they're making a decision for their children.

Along with this,

除此之外，也需要更多 克莉絲汀娜的方案的資訊。

we need more information about Christina's program.

她的背景是什麼？她的理念是什麼？

What's her background, what's her philosophy?

What are her tuition rates?

她的學費收多少？

Who else is in the program?

還有誰參加這個方案？

Is she operating a safe program?

她經營的方案安全嗎？

Is this a program parents can trust?

父母能信賴這個方案嗎？

Along with this,

此外，以前參加過 這個方案的其他父母

what do other parents think about the program

who have been enrolled in the program?

對這個方案的看法如何？

This is the type of information parents need

當父母要為孩子做決定時， 就需要這樣的資訊。

when they're making this decision for their children.

When operating a childcare program, it's not the same as driving a car,

經營托兒方案不同於

開車、把公寓放上網出租 或雜貨外送。

making your apartment available online or delivering groceries.

It's really important we ensure

很重要的是我們要確保設立的方案

that the programs that get created are safe, secure,

安全、沒有危險，

and allow us to live up to the promise of early childhood education.

並能讓我們能實踐幼兒教育的承諾。

Lastly, when it comes to starting a childcare program

最後，在設立托兒方案方面，

we need to make it easier for folks to take the leap.

我們得讓大家很容易 就能跨出這一大步。

There's this big misconception

有個很大的誤解：

that starting a childcare program out of your home is expensive,

在家裡開設托兒方案是很花錢的，

and you can barely make a living doing so.

且很難靠此維生。

But that's not true.

但並不是這樣的。

The economics vary widely by location, by your home, by your background.

經濟情況的差異甚大，

影響因素包括地點、 你的家、你的背景。

It's really similar, from an economic standpoint,

從經濟的角度來看，它非常類似

the way real estate works

房地產運作的方式，

in terms of how rents work in different markets.

房租在不同的市場中運作的方式。

For example, when Christina started her program,

比如，當克莉絲汀娜 開設她的方案時，

she was able to break even

她在開業後的三個月內 就能達做到不賺不賠了。

within three months of starting her program.

And we're seeing folks start programs in studio apartments

我們看到有人在套房裡開設方案，

with one or two children in the program.

方案只收一、兩個孩童。

And we're seeing a wide variety

且我們發現開設方案的人 真的是形形色色。

of different types of folks starting programs.

We're seeing grandmothers or former K-12 teachers.

我們有看到祖母或前基礎教育老師。

We're seeing social workers, artists.

我們有看到社工、藝術家。

We're seeing Montessori teachers who've been in the field for 20 years

我們有看到在這個領域 有二十年經驗的蒙特梭利老師，

and realize the opportunity of running their own program.

他們發現有這個機會 可以經營自己的方案。

Folks who are into forestry and have master's degrees,

對山林有興趣且有碩士學位的人，

former nurses, starting fully outdoor programs.

前護理師，開設完全戶外的方案。

Going back to Christina.

回到克莉絲汀娜。

Christina was a former child therapist,

克莉絲汀娜以前是兒童治療師，

and when she started her program with her husband,

當她和她先生開設托兒方案時，

she quickly got to a point

她很快就

where she was earning six times as much income running her program

讓托兒方案的收入達到

前一份工作的六倍之多。

than she was in her prior career.

She's able to move to a single-family home in San Francisco

她後來搬到舊金山的一間獨立房子

to operate her program.

經營她的方案。

And the big reason why she's able to do this

她能辦到的主要原因，

is she's not having to incur the costs of commercial real estate.

是因為她不用負擔商業地產的成本。

She's doing this out of her home.

她在家裡經營。

And her program is actually more affordable than programs nearby.

且，

她的方案比附近的方案還要平價。

It's a win-win for her and for the parents.

她和父母是雙贏。

So I want to live in a world where there's more Christinas,

我希望世界上多一些 克莉絲汀娜，多一些尤莉。

where there's more Yolis.

Where parents don't have to drive across town

希望父母不用開車到鎮的另一邊，

for programs that don't meet their needs,

找到的方案還不符合他們的需求。

where parents don't have to drop out of the workforce

希望父母不用離開勞動力，

to ensure their children are getting access

才能確保他們的孩子能取得

to the vital early education our children need.

孩子需要的重要幼兒教育。

A world where we can walk around our neighborhoods

希望我們能在鄰里各處走走，

參觀純戶外的西班牙文 沉浸式教學方案，

and tour a Spanish immersion program, a fully outdoor program,

a science-based program

以科學為基礎的方案，

and make a choice.

然後做出選擇。

It's during these early years

孩子是在早年學會說話，

children learn to speak,

they learn to communicate,

學會溝通，

they learn teamwork,

學會團隊合作，

they learn what it's like to start something and fail

學會開始做一件事、 失敗、再嘗試的滋味。

and try again.

A lot of the skills I use as a CEO today, running my company,

現今，我身為執行長的許多技能，

用來經營公司的技能， 都是我在五歲以前學到的。

these are things I learned before I was five.

These are the moments and experiences

是這些時刻和經驗

that make us who we are and make us human.

造就了現在的我們， 與其他動物不同。

And I can't think of anything more important than that.

我想不出還有什麼比這更重要了。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）