title: Effects of child-caregiver ratio on the interactions between caregivers and children in child-care centers: an experimental study.
abstract: To investigate the effects of child-caregiver ratio on the quality of caregiver-child interaction in child-care centers, 217 caregivers (ages 18-56 years) from 64 child care centers were observed during two structured play episodes: one with a group of three children and one with a group of 5 children. As predicted, a child-caregiver ratio of 3:1 produced a significantly higher quality of caregiver-child interaction than a ratio of 5:1 and particularly for younger children. Significant and meaningful effects were found for both the interactive behaviors of the caregivers and the children's well-being and cooperation. Significant correlations with caregiver-child interaction during lunchtime and throughout the remainder of the morning confirmed the ecological validity of the caregiver-child interactions observed during structured play episodes.
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elles J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: de Schipper
authors.forename: J Marianne
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Riksen-Walraven
authors.forename: Sabine A E
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Geurts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D010559:Personnel Management; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D012951:Socialization