Facts In Action

Family child care is the most popular form of non-parental child care for young children, particularly for infants and toddlers. The Wisconsin Child Care Research Partnership recently surveyed 452 family child care providers in Wisconsin, and conducted observations of 70 of those providers to identify what characteristics contribute to quality in family child care. They identified three characteristics that were related to quality: providers' training in child development, business practices, and professional commitment.

Using the family day care rating scale (FDCRS), they found that 48% of all licensed providers, and 21% of certified providers had a rating of 5 or above out of a 7-point scale. (Unlike Massachusetts, which requires all family child care providers to be licensed by the state, Wisconsin has a dual regulatory system of either licensing or certification). While regulation is a predictor of quality, it was not the only predictor. Researchers found that high quality family child care had several key attributes.

Providers with specialized training in child development, such as an A.A. or B.A. degree or a Child Development Associate credential, tended to provide higher quality care. Providers' business practices, including having contracts with parents, being a member of a professional association, and belonging to a support group, were also related to higher quality. Finally, the professional commitment of providers - consisting of providers' relationships with parents, relationships with children, whether they intentionally chose to do child care, and their job satisfaction - was another factor associated with high quality.

These findings are important for policy makers. The link between training and quality strengthens the argument that minimal standards for licensing should include training for all providers. Also, to improve quality of care, state and federal policy should encourage and support the family child care providers' ongoing professional development.

Source: What characteristics contribute to quality in family child care?, M.A. Roach,, D.B Adams, D.A. Riley, D. Edie, Wisconsin Child Care Research Partnership Issue Brief #11, February 2003. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/ece/pdfs/Brief11.pdf Editor's note: This url has changed:http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/wccrp/pdfs/brief11.pdf

Facts in Action, July/August 2003