Should food companies aim their marketing strategies at young children? It’s definitely a hot topic. When you go to the grocery store, you don’t just have to watch out for the brightly colored toys! Now there’s also Dora the Explorer fruit chews, Shrek Twinkies and Barbie-adorned cereal boxes.

Obviously these products are not intended to attract you- they are intended to get your child’s attention! Not everyone thinks that’s okay. The Better Business Bureau is a name we’ve all heard. But did you know it started an initiative to limit advertising geared toward young children? It wants companies to recognize that children under 12 are more likely to be influenced by advertisements than adults. It’s asking them to use messages that encourage good nutrition or healthy lifestyles.

Many well-known companies have voluntarily set standards for how they advertise to children. In fact, Coca Cola has pledged NOT to advertise drinks to any children under age 12. McDonalds, Hershey and General Mills are among the other companies that have also made pledges. We encourage you to check them out!

Could advertising to children be used in a positive way? Would putting Dora’s face on a bag of carrot sticks encourage more children to eat their carrots? Let’s hear what you think. Post a comment below.

“Jennifer and her husband live from paycheck to paycheck in Missouri. All of the child care that Jennifer has looked at for her baby costs as much, if not more, than their mortgage. Their income is too high to be eligible for any assistance with child care fees from the state. She wishes she could receive help to make child care more affordable.”

Does this sound like your family? If so, there is good reason. Here at The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) we just released our latest report, Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2010 Update. We found the average cost for care for an infant in a child care center is actually more than a family spends on food every year. That’s not really a surprise when you consider another statistic: the amount families spend on center-based child care for an infant is actually higher than tuition and fees for most four-year public colleges.

College is expensive! You save for your children from birth to be able to pay that kind of tuition, and even then if you can’t afford it, you can still get student loans. Child care, on the other hand, is not something you have an opportunity to save for, and you certainly can’t borrow a student loan to pay your child care fees. So, what should happen?

At NACCRRA, we believe that every child deserves high-quality child care, and that families should not be forced to choose between quality and affordability. We support increased investments in quality improvements and child care fee assistance.

Where do your child care costs fit into all this? Be sure to check out our report and comment below with your own stories!