Taking the Lead: Investing in Family Child Care. Research Notes
Author: McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Child Care Centers,Child Care,Educational Trends,Caregiver Training,Professional Development,Program Effectiveness,Credentials,Improvement Programs

Licensed family child care (FCC) programs serve millions of children and families annually and tend to serve more vulnerable families than center-based programs. Low-income families, families needing infant and toddler care, and families that are Hispanic or African American are more likely to place their children in FCC programs than in center-based care (National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, 2019; Porter, Paulsell, Del Gross, Avellar, Hass &amp; Vuong, 2010). Additionally, because FCC programs tend to offer more flexibility in scheduling, families who require child care during extended or irregular hours are more likely to enroll their children in family child care (Henly &amp; Adams, 2018). Despite the critical need for FCC, the United States has seen a 48% decline in licensed small FCC homes between 2005 and 2017 and a 21% decrease in licensed large FCC homes between 2005 and 2017 (National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, 2019). Data also revealed a 51% decrease in licensed FCC programs receiving subsidy payments between 2005 and 2017 (National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, 2019). Taken together the data show an alarming trend in the loss of FCC programs and, with their closure, the loss of financial child care assistance for some of the most vulnerable children and families. In 2015 the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University launched a new initiative, Taking the Lead--A Family Child Care Leadership Academy. Taking the Lead (TTL) has enrolled over 100 FCC providers in six cohorts since its inception. TTL has served as a vehicle for professional achievement, advancing the knowledge base and skill set of FCC providers in the Chicagoland area. TTL is delivered as a hybrid model that includes face-to-face classes and online coursework, as well as mentoring calls, emails, and group texts. Through reflective practice, supervised field experiences, and job-embedded activities participants explore how maintaining successful home-based business practices foster and maintain respectful, positive relationships with children and families. For this study, data were aggregated from the last three completed cohorts to explore four important questions: (1) Does participation in TTL improve participants' knowledge and skills on topics related to business and professional practices, including the state's professional development and quality improvement systems? (2) Does participation in TTL improve the quality of business and professional practices as measured by formal Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) assessments? (3) Does participation in TTL lead to changes in quality recognition and improvement system (QRIS), accreditation, or credentialing status? and (4) Does participation in TTL help stem the decline in FCC programs?