At a time when a decline in family values is held responsible for a range of social problems, the day-care debate has a special prominence. A total of eight trials were identified after examining 920 abstracts and 19 books. The trials were assessed for methodological quality. There are positive effects on mothers' education, employment and interaction with children. Effects on fathers have not been examined.
Few studies look at a range of outcomes spanning the health, education and welfare domains.
The trials had other significant methodological weaknesses, pointing to the importance of improving on study design in this field. The extent to which the results are generaliseable to other cultures and socioeconomic groups has yet to be evaluated. This is an abstract of a regularly updated, systematic review prepared and maintained by the Cochrane Collaboration. Update Software Ltd. All rights reserved.