ED453903 PS029277

 

Title: Caring and Learning Environments: Quality in Regulated Family Child Care across Canada. You Bet I Care!
Author(s):Doherty, Gillian; Lero, Donna S.; Goelman, Hillel; Tougas, Jocelyne; LaGrange, Annette
Author Affiliation: Guelph Univ. (Ontario). Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being.(BBB36659)
Pages: 213
Publication Date: 2000
Notes: Research funded by the Child Care Visions Program, Social Development Partnerships Division, Human Resources Development Canada. For other reports in this series, see PS 029 278-279.
Sponsoring Agency: Human Resources Development Canada, Ottawa (Ontario). (BBB33030)
ISBN: 0-88955-506-0
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC09 Plus Postage.
Availability: Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. Tel: 519-824-4120; Fax: 519-823-1388; e-mail: cfww@uoguelph.ca; Web site: http://www.uoguelph.ca/cfww.
Language: English
Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142); Test/questionnaires (160)
Geographic Source: Canada; Ontario
Journal Announcement: RIENOV2001

Canadian experts in diverse fields as well as people concerned about social justice and cohesion have identified quality child care as a crucial component in addressing a variety of broad societal goals. This study explored the relationships between quality in Canadian family child care homes and: provider characteristics and attitudes about family child care provision; provider income levels and working conditions; and the provider's use of support services, networking with other providers, and professional development opportunities. Data were collected from 231 regulated family child care providers across 6 Canadian provinces and 1 territory, followed by observations in each provider's home. Data analysis focused on identifying the critical factors that predict the level of quality in a family child care home. Findings suggest that physically safe environments with caring, supportive adults are the norm in a majority of family child care homes. However, only just over one third of child care homes provided care that would stimulate children's development. Key variables that predicted family child care home quality as indicated by the score on the Family Day Care Rating Scale were the provider's highest level of education in any subject, provider completion of a formal family child care-specific training course, provider networking with others through an organized association, provider's gross family child care income from the previous year, age of the youngest child present, and the provider's attitude about family child care provision. Findings suggest that methods to support and encourage quality should include recruiting well-educated individuals to the field, providing family child care-specific training, supporting development of networking organizations, developing strategies to enhance provider compensation, providing extra supports for people providing infant care, and promoting and recognizing family child care as a socially important and enjoyable career option. (Eleven appendices include an overview of research on the relation of family child care quality to child development outcomes, an overview of family child care requirements, data collection instruments, and a delineation of the predictor variables used in the analysis. Contains 131 references.) (KB)

Descriptors: Caregiver Child Relationship; Caregiver Role; *Child Caregivers; Compensation (Remuneration); *Day Care; Early Childhood Education; *Educational Environment; *Family Day Care; Foreign Countries; Infant Care; Models; National Surveys; Observation; Predictor Variables; Tables (Data); *Work Environment
Identifiers: Canada; Caregiver Attitudes; Caregiver Behavior; Caregiver Qualifications; *Day Care Quality; Quality Indicators