ED168733
PS010580
Title: Children at the Center: Summary Findings and Their
Implications. Final Report of the National Day Care Study, Volume
I.
Author(s): Ruopp, Richard; And Others
Author Affiliation: Abt Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA.(MGG00100)
Pages: 328
Publication Date: March 1979
Notes: Parts marginally legible due to small type
Sponsoring Agency: Administration for Children, Youth, and
Families (DHEW), Washington, DC.
(BBB15008)
Contract No: HEW-105-74-1100
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC14 Plus Postage.
Language: English
Document Type: Book (010); Reports--Descriptive (141); Reports--Evaluative
(142)
Geographic Source: U.S.; Massachusetts
Journal Announcement: RIEAUG1979
This volume
presents a summary of the methods, findings and recommendations
for federal policy of the National Day Care Study (NDCS), a 4-year
study of the effects of regulatable day care center characteristics
on the quality and cost of day care for preschoolers. Chapter I
describes current day care services and the history of federal involvement
to the present. Chapter II presents the major policy issues addressed
by the NDCS and its conceptual framework and research design. Chapter
III explains the sampling procedure of the NDCS. Chapter IV deals
with those aspects of day care centers which are susceptible to
federal regulation and hence most affected by federal policy decisions,
and with alternative measures of policy variables. Chapter V discusses
the conceptual and instrumental problems of defining "quality
care" and gives the study's definition. Chapters VI and VII
present the NDCS findings. In Chapter VI the relation between regulatable
aspects of day care and quality of care, the generality of the findings,
and the connection between research findings and policy decisions
are explored. In Chapter VII the issue of cost versus quality is
examined. Chapter VIII discusses current regulatory policy and recommends
alternative regulatory policies. A "Commentary" is appended
which presents the views of minority consultants on issues with
crucial effects for minority children. Three appendices provide:
(1) a summary of the findings of the NDCS Supply Study, (2) an overview
of the Infant/Toddler Study, and (3) the names of all NDCS staff
and consultants. (Author/BH)
Descriptors: Classroom Environment; *Cost Effectiveness;
*Day Care; Day Care Centers; Early Childhood Education; Federal
Programs; *Federal Regulation; Minority Group Children; Models;
National Surveys; Operating Expenses; *Policy Formation; *Preschool
Children; Program Descriptions; *Program Effectiveness; Project
Applications; Research Methodology; Sampling; Student Characteristics;
Teacher Qualifications
Identifiers: *National Day Care Study
