Childcare Facilities

Childcare facilities are places that are run by the Health + Social Care Sector, to look after and monitor the development of infant hoomans.
Younglins are brought up in the Childcare facilities up until the age of 5, where they are monitored on their growth and development. They are then returned to their families to integrate into the rest of society.

Process

Pre-Birth

After a hooman or hooman couple have received a successful application from the facility, in which either one of both Hoomans will have the implant deactivated until the allowed number of children are born.
Pregnancy takes about 4 months, which the pregnant Hooman will usually spend their last few weeks or so in a childcare facility to check up on any issues there may be.
The facilities are quick to terminate any pregnancy that looks to have a high chance of deformity and do their best to nip it in the bud.
After the 4 months, the hooman will produce a pod (Podlings), which will then take a further 2 months to fully develop into a younglin.

Infancy

After an infant is born, they are checked over to make sure they are healthy, before being returned to the birthing parent. They will stay with the parent/ family until the birthing parent is able-bodied enough to leave, which then the baby is placed in the Infant wards.
The infants are closely monitored and looked after by carers, who work on shifts, to make sure that they are developing healthily.
After 9 months, they are then moved from the Infant wards to the first year wards.

Wards

Younglins are generally divided up by the year they were born. They are also split up depending on how often their parents visit since while it's extremely encouraged for families to visit their children, some don't put in as much effort as the facility would like. (The younglins would get upset and envious of other younglins whose families have visited more.)
Carers nickname the divisions as dailies, semiweeklies, weeklies, monthlies and no-shows.

Education

(See Hooman Education )
Proper Facility Education doesn't start until the younglin is 4 years old, as the first three years is to care for and monitor the child. Most of the education is done through planned play activities, and in the morning, when younglins are most active and willing to learn things.

Visitation

Hooman parents and families are expected on a minimum to visit an hour or so every other day. A Schedule is usually organised to fit in the best time a parent/family can visit. If a parent is unable to arrive to a visitation, they must call the facility up in advance, or send another family member to visit.
It is extremely frowned upon to not visit your child and affects the parents' chances of being able to have a successful application next time.
Hoomans who wish to visit the younglins for various reasons, e.g entertain them or volunteer to help will need to have a background check run and a written acceptance document signed by the head of the facility. (Acceptance documents from the head of the Health + Social Care Sector, head of the Education Sector or the Hooman Leader also count.)

In the Absence of Parents

Relatives

If in the case of both parents becoming suddenly absent, either due to an accident, sickness, prison-time, etc. The responsibility of the younglin is given to the closest next of kin.

Sector Care

Before a proper system of adoption was put in place for younglins without families, the Health + Social Care Sector and Education Sector would fund their care up until they finished their education. A younglin would stay at the facility until they were old enough, before being placed in a sector funded home.

Adoption

A proper adoption process was introduced to the facilities in 100 AC on Nasgovia by Algernon, due to the rare cases of younglins being left at the facility with no family to take them in.
The process usually involves said younglin being placed on an adoption list and hoomans who want to adopt will apply to see if they are suitable to adopt a child. Visits are then organised as usual until the younglin can leave the facility with their adopted family.

Reputation

The childcare facilities generally have a positive reputation with the hooman population because it keeps the younglins safe, happy and healthy, and it's guaranteed childcare.
Most hoomans who remember their time in the facility will usually describe it fondly.
However, there is some negative reception, as it is a mandatory process to go through if a hooman wants a child. There are groups that argue that it should be a right for a hooman family to be able to raise their child without the influence of the government.

Alternative Names

Younglin facilities, The Facilites

Type

Hospital

Related Professions

• Facility Carer
• Red Coat