THE EMERGING CRISIS
FOR 3.6 MILLION YEARS INFANTS WERE
CARED FOR BY MOTHERS OR CLOSE
FAMILY MEMBERS
IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, THERE HAS
BEEN A SHARP DROP IN CHILDCARE BY
FAMILY MEMBERS
Many slides from web.
CHANGE IN CHILD
REARING PATTERNS
IN 1999 60% OF MOTHERS OF INFANTS
UNDER 1 YEAR WERE IN THE
WORKFORCE.
MANY INFANTS SPEND THE BULK OF
THEIR WAKING HOURS IN THE CARE OF
NON-RELATIVES IN GROUP CHILD CARE
SETTINGS
EARLY CARE IS NOT
VALUED
HISTORICALLY DONE BY WOMEN AT NO
COST
U.S. HAS NOT INVESTED ENOUGH TO
SAFEGUARD OUR MOST PRESCIOUS
RESOURCE—OUR CHILDREN
OUR NATION’S FUTURE IS AT RISK
MYTHS ABOUT EARLY
CARE
“ITS JUST BABYSITTING”
“ANYONE CAN DO IT”
“JUST FEED THE BABY AND CHANGE ITS
DIAPER”
“BABIES SLEEP MOST OF THE TIME”
“BABIES DON’T LEARN ANYWAY”
Child Care: Controversy
NICHD study of early child
care. 1,153 infants
Relations between child-care
in first 3 years & peer
competencies
Positive, responsive caregiver behavior most
consistently associated with positive, skilled
peer interaction in child care.
Children with more experience in child-care settings
with other children present were observed to be
more positive and skilled in their peer play in child
care
although caregivers rated them more negative with
playmates.
Children with more hours in child care rated by
caregivers as more negative in peer play, but
observed play not related to the quantity of
care.
Peer competence
Assessed with mother and caregiver ratings,
observations in child care
Maternal sensitivity and children's cognitive and
language competence predicted peer
competence across all settings and informants,
suggesting that family and child-care contexts
may play different, but complementary roles in
the development of early emerging individual
differences in peer interaction.
– NICHD ECCRN. Child Care and Children's Peer Interaction
at 24 and 36 Months: The NICHD Study of Early Child
Care. Child Development 2001;72(5):1478-1500.
References
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/od/secc/
pubs.htm
Effects of child care on infantmother attachment security
No significant main effects of child-care
experience (amount, age entry, or type of care)
on attachment security or avoidance.
Extensive vs, no child-care experience did not
distinguish infant distress in separations from mother.
Significant main effects of maternal sensitivity
and responsiveness.
Interaction: Infants less likely to be secure when low
maternal sensitivity/responsiveness was combined
with poor quality child care, more than minimal child
care, or more than one care arrangement
– . Child Development. 1997. 68(5) 860-879
Same at 36 months
Maternal sensitivity was the strongest predictor
of preschool attachment classification.
No child-care factors (quantity, quality, or type)
predicted, in and of themselves, attachment
security at 36 months.
Interaction: When maternal sensitivity was low,
more hours per week in care somewhat
increased the risk of the insecure (C).
Significant but modest stability of attachment
classifications from 15 to 36 months
especially for children with A and C classifications.
Before- and After-School Care
Arrangements?
“A prospective, longitudinal study involving 933
children in the latter part of first grade….
Children who consistently participated in
extracurricular activities during kindergarten and
first grade obtained higher standardized test
scores
…controlling for child and family factors and
children's prior functioning.
Participation in other types of out-of-school care was not
associated with child functioning in first grade when
background factors were controlled.
– NICHD ECCRN. Are Child Developmental Outcomes
Related to Before- and After-School Care Arrangements?
Results From the NICHD Study of Early Child Care. Child
DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES
 YOUNG INFANTS: SECURITY
 MOBILE INFANTS:EXPLORATION
 OLDER INFANTS: INDEPENDENCE
ATTACHMENT RESEARCH
ATTACHMENT IS THE MEASURE
OF THE QUALITY OF A
RELATIONSHIP FROM THE
CHILD’S PERSPECTIVE
ATTACHMENT RESEARCH
ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIPS FORM A
HIERARCHY (PRIMARY, SECONDARY, ETC.)
INFANTS IN POOR QUALITY CARE TEND TO
HAVE LESS SECURE ATTACHMENTS TO
CAREGIVERS.
ATTACHMENT RESEARCH
A SECURE ATTACHMENT IS FORMED WHEN
A CHILD IS IN A RELATIONSHIP OVER TIME
WITH SOMEONE WH0 IS EMOTIONALLY
AVAILABLE & SENSITIVE
INFANTS IN HIGH QUALITY CARE ARE MORE
SECURELY ATTACHED TO THEIR
CAREGIVERS
ATTACHMENT RESEARCH
SECURELY ATTACHED CHILDREN HAVE
BETTER:
 COGNITIVE OUTCOMES
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
GREATER LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD
HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
10-SITE STUDY RESULTS INDICATE INFANT
CARE HAS NO EFFECT ON QUALITY OF
CHILD’S ATTACHMENT WITH PARENTS
IF INSECURELY ATTACHED AT HOME & IN
POOR QUALITY SETTINGS, INFANTS ARE AT
RISK DEVELOPMENTALLY
CAROLLEE HOWES’
RESEARCH FINDINGS
CHILDREN, WHO ARE INSECURELY
ATTACHED AT HOME, BENEFIT FROM A
SECURE ATTACHMENT WITH A CAREGIVER
IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE
UNIV. OF MINNESOTA STUDY
 CHILDREN NOT RECEIVING RESPONSIVE EARLY
CARE WERE AT HIGHER RISK FOR POOR
OUTCOMES INCLUDING:
 DIFFICULTY FORMING RELATIONSHIPS WITH
PEERS IN PRESCHOOL & ADOLESCENCE
 LOWER LEVEL SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT,
ESPECIALLY IN ADOLESCENCE
UNIV. OF MINNESOTA STUDY
72% WERE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION BY 3RD
GRADE
EXHIBITED MORE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
MORE LIKELY TO USE DRUGS & ALCOHOL
CHILDREN WITH EARLY SECURE
ATTACHMENTS WERE LESS VULNERABLE
SECURELY ATTACHED
INFANTS WILL DEVELOP:
A POSITIVE SENSE OF SELF WORTH
A BELIEF IN THE HELPFULNESS OF
OTHERS
A MODEL ON WHICH TO BUILD ALL
FUTURE RELATIONSHIPS
SECURELY ATTACHED
INFANTS WILL DEVELOP:
THE SECURITY TO EXPLORE
ENVIRONMENT & DEAL WITH IT
EFFECTIVELY
A SENSE THAT THEY ARE COMPETENT
AND CAN SOLVE PROBLEMS
SECURE ATTACHMENT
LEADS TO RESILIENCE:
IF CHILD’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH
OTHERS CONTINUE TO BE FAVORABLE,
THESE EARLY PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR
WILL LEAD TO RESILIENCE
QUALITY INFANT CARE
SHOULD HAVE THE SAME COMPONENTS
OF QUALITY PARENTING—WARM,
RESPONSIVE, CONSISTENT CAREGIVING
GEARED TO THE NEEDS OF EACH INFANT
INFANT NEEDS IN GROUP
CARE
CLOSE, CARING RELATIONSHIPS
INDIVIDUALIZED CARE
A SAFE & INTERESTING
ENVIRONMENT
INFANT NEEDS IN GROUP
CARE
CARE THAT IS CONNECTED TO
FAMILY & CULTURE
KNOWLEDGEABLE, RESPONSIVE
CAREGIVERS
HOW TO SUPPORT SECURE
ATTACHMENTS IN GROUP CARE:
CAREGIVER MAKES AN EMOTIONAL
INVESTMENT IN THE CHILD
CAREGIVER IS CONSISTENTLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING PHYSICAL
AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF THE INFANT
THE RELATIONSHIP LASTS FOR AN
EXTENDED PERIOD
TRENDS IN QUALITY
QUALITY IS CONTINUING TO DETERIORATE
COMPENSATION IS LOW & STAFF TURNOVER
IS HIGH
WHILE EDUCATION OF STAFF IS IMPROVING,
RATIOS & GROUPS SIZE ARE INCREASING
1995 COST, QUALITY & CHILD
OUTCOME STUDY
ALMOST 50% OF CENTER-BASED INFANT
CARE WAS OF POOR QUALITY
40% OF INFANT/TODDLER ROOMS
ENDANGERED HEALTH & SAFETY
ONLY 8.3% OF ROOMS (1 IN 12) HAD
DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE CARE
QUALITY CENTER-BASED
INFANT CARE
LOW CHILD TO STAFF RATIOS
SMALL GROUP SIZES
CONTINUITY OF CARE (BIRTH-3YRS)
STAFF EDUCATION & INFANT TRAINING
QUALITY FAMILY CHILD
CARE
CAREGIVER WANTS TO CARE FOR
CHILDREN & RECOGNIZED THE
IMPORTANCE OF HER WORK
PLANNED ENVIRONMENT &
EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN
REGULATED BY STATE
WHAT IS NEEDED
INTENSE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE QUALITY
NATIONAL, STATE, LOCAL COMMUNITIES
& PARENTS NEED TO ADDRESS
COMPENSATION ISSUES
HOW DO WE ENSURE
QUALITY CARE
RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF CRITICAL
IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY EARLY CARE &
EDUCATION
INVOLVE ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN MAKING
NECESSARY ECONOMIC INVESTMENTS
HOW DO WE ENSURE
QUALITY CARE
INCREASE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS IN
LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
ENSURE ADEQUATE COMPENSATION TO
ATTRACT & RETAIN EARLY CARE &
EDUCATION TEACHERS & PROVIDERS
WHO ARE THE
STAKEHOLDERS?
EVERY CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES
HAS A PERSONAL STAKE IN ENSURING
QUALITY EARLY CARE & EDUCATION
OUR CHILDREN ARE THE ONLY FUTURE
WE HAVE