Effects of Public Day-Care: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

119 Swedish children were followed from their first year of life up to the age of 8. Most could be classified according to (a) type of day-care they had experienced during their first 7 years of life and (b) time of first entrance into day-care. At 8 years, the children were tested with aptitude tests and rated by their teachers on school performance and social and personal development. Hierarchical regression analyses and MANCOVAs were used in the statistical treatment. Time of entrance into day-care predicted children's cognitive and socioemotional development, controlling for sex and home background. Children with early day-care (entrance before the age of 1) were generally rated more favorably and performed better than children with late entrance or home care. There was a tendency for early center care to predict a more favorable outcome than other care.

Föräldraledighet, omsorgspolitik och jämställdhet i Norden

“…Det viste seg at barn som begynte tidlig på førskole (før de var ett år) stort sett hadde en bedre utvikling på de relevante områdene enn barn som begynte senere eller hadde fått hjemmebasert omsorg. Konklusjonen baserte seg på kontroll av kjønn og familiebakgrunn (Andersson 1989). Barna ble undersøkt igjen når de fylte tretten år.…”

Tijd voor Kwaliteit in de Kinderopvang

“…Bij hen kan een goede kwaliteit van opvang buitenshuis nog iets toevoegen aan hun ontwikkeling. Het bezoeken van een goed kinderdagverblijf, zo blijkt uit onderzoek, kan langdurige positieve effecten hebben op de sociale en persoonlijkheidsontwikkeling van kinderen, en op hun taalontwikkeling en schoolprestaties (Andersson, 1989(Andersson, , 1992Howes, 1990). Een onderzoek in Canada (Hausfather, Toharia, LaRoche & Engelsmann, 1997) illustreert heel mooi de beslissende rol die kwaliteit speelt in de vraag of kinderopvang positieve of negatieve effecten heeft.…”

Parental leave, childcare and gender equality in the Nordic countries

“…They found that children who had been cared for in a kindergarten at an early age (before the age of one year) generally showed better developmental levels in the relevant areas, compared with children who started kindergarten later or were cared for at home. The conclusion was obtained by controlling for gender and family background (Andersson 1989). The children were reevaluated at the age of thirteen.…”