Child Care and the Well-being of Children

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate studies of child care with specific attention to the impact of age at entry and amount, quality, and type of care on children's adaptive functioning. Results: Children who began care early in life and were in care 30 or more hours a week were at increased risk for stress-related behavioral problems. Elevated risk was more likely if they had difficulties interacting with peers or had insensitive parents. Children in day care centers had higher language scores and early school achievement, especially if they came from disadvantaged backgrounds and the centers offered high-quality care. Attending arrangements with 6 or more children increased the likelihood of communicable illnesses and ear infections, albeit those illnesses had no long-term adverse consequences. Conclusions:Child care is a multidimensional phenomenon. Guidance on when to place a child in nonparental care and what kind of care to use is complicated because of the multiplicity of sometimes offsetting effects on children. Child care experiences interact with experiences at home and the child's own characteristics, and research indicates that the quality of child care matters.

Closing the gap in academic readiness and achievement: the role of early childcare

“…This distinction is important because distinct patterns of childcare use may have different implications for child development. A significant proportion of children are receiving informal childcare arrangements, especially disadvantaged ones (Riley & Glass, 2002), and the effect of informal childcare is not well documented in the literature (Bradley & Vandell, 2007).…”

Fatores de risco para perda ponderal de crianças frequentadoras de berçários em creches do município de São Paulo

“…A frequência a creches de crianças em condições socioeconômicas menos favorecidas pode ser considerada uma das estratégias dos países subdesenvolvidos para estimular o crescimento e desenvolvimento infantil. Tal fato é explicado por serem insatisfatórias as condições de moradia e de cuidado com os lactentes nessas populações urbanas empobrecidas (8)(9)(10)(11)(12) . A avaliação do estado nutricional da população infantil é essencial para que seja conferida a evolução das condições de saúde e de vida, considerando sua influência decisiva sobre os riscos de morbimortalidade, crescimento e desenvolvimento infantil, além de possibilitar intervenções precoces e melhorar a qualidade de vida da população de forma geral (6,13,14) .…”

Health implications of children in child care centres Part A: Canadian trends in child care, behaviour and developmental outcomes

“…Importantly, the early aggression identified in some studies did not lead to later aggressive criminal acts (15). Although there may be some negative behavioural effects of long-term nonparental child care, children may gain social skills including peer play, selfconfidence and managing new situations (17). In a review (15) of nine studies conducted between 1975 and 1990, some found that boys in daycare were more aggressive, others found no difference and some found that girls were more aggressive.…”

“…There may be an association between the time in nonparental care and poor peer interactions and adjustment problems (17). Some small studies (19) have suggested that children enrolled in full-time child care early in life are at an increased risk of attachment insecurity.…”

“…Some small studies (19) have suggested that children enrolled in full-time child care early in life are at an increased risk of attachment insecurity. However, in a large prospective longitudinal study (Study of Early Child Care) (17), in which factors such as quality and type of care and family background were controlled, attachment insecurity was only seen if the mothers were highly insensitive. Data from the 1994/1995 NLSCY data set have suggested that children who attend a child care centre and whose mothers are depressed may be at an increased risk of poor development (20).…”