Prepared and published by Update Software Ltd . All rights reserved. A substantive amendment to this systematic review was last made on 31 May 2000. Cochrane reviews are regularly checked and updated if necessary. The debate about how, where and by whom young children should be looked after is one which has occupied much social policy and media attention in recent years.
Mothers undertake most of the care of young children.
These different levels of provision are not simply a response to different levels of demand for day-care, but reflect cultural and economic interests concerning the welfare of children, the need to promote mothers' participation in paid work, and the importance of socialising children into society's values. 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.