The study follows development of more than 800 children from preschool through second grade, beginning with their experiences in full-day childcare facilities. Centers studied include Head Start, nonprofit and for-profit centers. They are evaluated on such factors as the amount of attention a child got from day care providers, how much and how well they played with other children, and whether the children had plentiful and safe furnishings, toys, books and other learning materials. The researchers conclude that children in low-quality care tend to score lower on tests measuring their language and math skills. The lowest-quality care accounts for about 11 percent of the day care studied.
Researchers judge nearly one- quarter of the programs to be of high quality.
The results seem to indicate that high-quality day care in the early years of development is one factor that helps children succeed in both the long and short term. Riley points out two states that are engaged in progressive efforts to make a difference in children's lives. National effort needed By and large, however, the nation as a whole has not responded sufficiently to the childcare implications of former welfare recipients entering the workforce. But too many of these hard-working Americans cannot find childcare that is both affordable and high quality. In the analysis of this study, the researchers recommend that states and Congress allocate additional funding to day care programs, worker training and salaries and tax credits for working parents, especially those leaving welfare rolls.