Who Cares for America's Children? (1990) / Chapter Skim
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4 Quality of Child Care: Perspectives of Research and Professional Practice
4 Quality of Child Care: Perspectives of Research and Professional Practice
Pages 84-107
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From page 84... ...
In the National Day Care Study (ND CS) , for example, structural features of the environment were associated with caregiver and child behaviors observed in centers (Ruopp et al., 1979~.
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From page 85... ...
1b 1 Appendix B summarizes four professional standards of quality: the accreditation criteria of the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children; the Early Childhood :Environment Rating Scale; the National Black Child Development Institute's safeguards; and the Child Welfare League of America's standards for day care service. It also presents the criteria for quality given in two sets of requirements for receipt of federal funds: the Federal Interagency Day Care Requirements and the Head Start performance standards.
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From page 86... ...
RESEARCH FINDINGS ON STRUCTURAL ASPECTS OF QUALITY Conclusions regarding the structural aspects of quality rest on the complementary perspectives of research and professional practice. Research has examined empirically the question of which features of center and family day care settings are most closely associated with children's development, but there Is an Important gap In the existing research: with few exceptions, it has not addressed the question of acceptable versus unacceptable ranges on the key structural dimensions.
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From page 87... ...
For caregiver qualifications, research confirms the importance of both child-related training and overall education. Group Size Findings concerning group size clearly pertain to both family day care and center care.
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From page 88... ...
Our survey of state regulations shows that 10 years later, while group size in family day care is regulated in all but 3 states, only 20 states and the District of Columbia regulate size for all the age groups we examined in child care centers. Five other states regulate group size only for infants.
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From page 89... ...
on family day care strongly support the NDCS findings concerning child-related training. Caregiver training had strong and positive effects
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From page 90... ...
The evidence, then, points to positive correlates of both caregiver education and training specific to child development. We note, however, that the two studies of national scope (the NDCS focusing on center care and the NDCHS focusing on family day care)
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From page 91... ...
In both family day care and center care, these needs are more adequately fulfilled if children do not experience frequent changes of caregivers caused by staff turnover or families changing their child care arrangements. In center care, these needs are further assured when children become involved with particular caregivers among the several caregivers to whom they are exposed.
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From page 92... ...
Howes and Stewart (1987) found that when children in family day care experience a greater number of different child care arrangements, they demonstrate lower levels of complexity in their play with adults and peers and with objects.
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From page 93... ...
In family day care, the issue that emerges in the research is whether children are cared for in a space that remains primarily designed for adults or whether adaptations have been made such that the space could be called "child designed." In center care, where space is
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From page 94... ...
Howes (1983) found that in family day care the degree to which space was child designed was associated with a number of caregiver behaviors: restrictiveness and responsiveness to children, establishment of a positive emotional climate, and ability to facilitate positive social relations.
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From page 95... ...
Family Day Care: Additional Dimensions of Quality In addition to group size, caregiver training, and stability, which pertain to both family day care and center care settings, there are also dimensions of quality that are unique to family day care. Although virtually all child care centers are licensed, a majority of family day care homes are not.
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From page 96... ...
Children in the low-quality family day care settings scored lower on measures of language development. In addition, they engaged in fewer structured fine- and gross-motor activities, fewer reading and information activities, and fewer art and music activities than children in high-quality family day care.
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From page 97... ...
conclude that "Head Start's parental involvement component should be systematically evaluated," we highlight the need to assess the impact of parent involvement in other forms of child care. Professional standards also stress that curriculum materials should reflect respect for cultural diversity and affirm children's multiple cultures.
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From page 98... ...
Indeed, Head Start performance standards require a multicultural approach, and a great deal of work has been done in the context of Head Start to develop and implement multicultural curricula, most recently through the National Head Start Multicultural Fisk Force (1987~. However, as with parent involvement, the research has been sparse.
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From page 99... ...
(1984) , first published in 1960 and revised in 1984, describe practices considered most desirable for the care of children in center-based programs and in family day care homes.
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From page 100... ...
Finally, we note that until quite recently standards of quality specific to family day care programs have been seriously lacking. The professional standards summarized in Appendix B
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From page 101... ...
A study guide, now in development, will soon make it possible to add to the professional standards for center day care the perspective from professional practice on dimensions of quality in family day care. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS We have noted the need to draw on both academic research and standards for professional practice in order to extract a picture of the components of high-quality care.
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From page 102... ...
Research suggests that children's experiences in child care are more positive when space is well organized, differentiated, orderly, and, in family day care, designed for children's use. Professional standards concur in identifying the need for a physical setting that is orderly and differentiated, as well as child oriented.
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From page 103... ...
In a substantial number of states, there is no space requirement set for family day care homes, either regarding square footage or design of space. Even on a universally recognized aspect of quality such as staff/child ratio, states show major discrepancies in their regulations, with one permitting for 3-year-olds only 6 per caregiver and others as many as 15.
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From page 104... ...
1980 Experience and the development of intelligence in young children at home and in day care. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development 45(6-7~:Serial No.
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From page 105... ...
1984 Effect of quality of day care environment on children's language development. Developmental Psychology 20:244-260.
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From page 106... ...
Rosenthal, M.K. 1988 Social Policy and Its Effects on the Daily Experiences of Infants and Toddlers in family day care in Israel.
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From page 107... ...
and AJ. Davis 1984 Employed mothers and family day care: A comparative analysis of infant care.
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