Deborah Moberly, associate professor of teaching and learning at UMSL, talked to St. Louis Public Radio about early childhood education. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Finding quality child care is a challenge every parent encounters. And finding that early childhood care at an affordable price is even more difficult.

Deborah Moberly, associate professor of teaching and learning in the College of Education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, discussed the selection process of early childhood care March 6 on St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU.

“I’ve been with parents who are looking for quality child care centers, and I think sometimes parents make a decision a little too quickly. But it may be their circumstances. They get a job on Friday and the need somewhere to put their child on Monday,” Moberly told St. Louis Public Radio. “But what we do recommend for parents is to look beyond just the center’s location and hours the center is open, but to look at some more factors that really are quality factors that we can help parents identify as they observe what is really going on in the childhood center.”

Moberly is an expert in early childhood education. For more than 40 years she has worked in the field of early childhood education – as a public school kindergarten teacher, director of a childhood development center, supervisor of pre-K teachers, and educator and researcher in the area. She joined UMSL’s faculty in 2009.