Child outcomes when child care center classes meet recommended standards for quality. NICHD Early Child Care Research Network.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed outcomes for children when child care centers meet recommended care standards.


METHODS
Data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care were used to examine the association between meeting standards for child-staff ratios, group sizes, caregiver training, and caregiver education and children's development at 24 and 36 months of age.


RESULTS
There were 5 major findings: (1) most classes observed did not meet all 4 recommended standards (compliance ranged from 10% at 6 months of age to 34% at 36 months of age); (2) linear associations were found between number of standards met and child outcomes, and this was more the case at 36 months than at 24 months of age: (3) there was no evidence of threshold effects; (4) children in classes that met more standards had better school readiness and language comprehension scores as well as fewer behavior problems at 36 months of age; and (5) child outcomes were predicted by child-staff ratio at 24 months and caregiver training and education at 36 months of age.


CONCLUSIONS
Outcomes were better when children attended classes that met recommended child-staff ratios and recommended levels of caregiver training and education.
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000592:standards*; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012919:Social Behavior; D014481:United States