The researchers don't say that, of course, but that's the obvious conclusion. In politer language, they discovered that children in child care most of the time are three times as likely to misbehave in kindergarten as those who had stayed home with their mothers. Aggression, defiance and disobedience are more common. It doesn't matter whether the child is a boy or a girl, rich or poor, or what type or quality of care - though that last assertion is hard to believe. Let's be realistic.
Parents are pretty much on their own when it comes to deciding what to do about child care.
But what most settle for is not even second best. Providers typically are paid poverty-level wages. So they feel little loyalty to where they work, which means the children must get used to someone new taking care of them over and over. Forming the secure attachment essential for healthy development is impossible under these circumstances. At the same time, fees parents pay if they have more than one young child may be higher than the monthly grocery bill.