Child Care Quality:
Does It Matter and Does It Need to be Improved?

Deborah Lowe Vandell

Educational Sciences
Institute for Research on Poverty
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Barbara Wolfe

Department of Economics
Preventive Medicine
Institute for Research on Poverty
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Washington, D.C.
May, 2000

This report is available on the Internet at:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/ccquality00/index.htm

Table of Contents

Executive Summary (html version)  (PDF version)

Full Report

• Introduction  (PDF version of just the Introduction)
• How is Child Care Quality Measured?
• Does Quality of Child Care Have Meaningful Effects on Children’s Developmental Outcomes?
• What is the Quality of Care in the United States?
• Is There a Persuasive Economic Argument to Justify Public Intervention to Improve the Quality of Child Care?
• What Might Be Done to Improve the Quality of Child Care?
• Conclusions

List of Tables

Table 1.  The Relationship Between Structural Variables and Process Variables (pdf copy)

Table 2.  Concurrent Associations Between Child Care Quality and Child Developmental Outcomes (pdf copy)

Table 3.  Long-Term Associations Between Child Care Quality and Child Developmental Outcomes (pdf copy)

Table 4.  Linear Trends Relating Number of Recommended Standards Met to Child Outcomes: NICHD Study of Early Child Care

Table 5.  Adjusted Means for Children in Settings That Did or Did Not Meet Specific Child Care Standards: NICHD Study of Early Child Care

Table 6.  Summary of Effect Sizes at 36 Months: NICHD Study of Early Child Care

Table 7.  Regression Results and Simulated Change in Child Cognition and Language Skills

Table 8.  Studies of Child Care and Parental Employment

Table 9.  Ratings of Process Quality by Type of Care and Child Care: NICHD Study of Early Child Care

Table 10.  Requirements for Child: Staff Ratio and Group Size by State

Table 11.  Regression Results for Period and Cumulative Effects at 24 and 36 Months

Table 12.  Descriptive Statistics for Child Care Standards at Four Ages: NICHD Study of Early Child Care

Table 13.  Marginal Effects of the Probability of Choosing among Modes of Care for the Youngest Child for Single Mothers

List of Figures

Figure 1.  Child Care Usage by Maternal Education and Family Income During the Child’s First Three Years

Figure 2.  A Conceptual Model of Relations Between Child Care Quality and Children’s Developmental Outcomes

Figure 3.  Median Earnings of Highest and Lowest Paid Teachers or Assistants Relative to Full-Time Wages of Women 25+: 1992, 1997

Figure 4.  Staff Turnover by Prior Year’s Wages

Figure 5.  Turnover Rates, All Staff, All Centers

Figure 6.  Main Child Care Arrangements of Low-Income Children under Age 5

Figure 7.  A Conceptual Model of Public Policy, Parental Resources, and Inputs into Child Care Quality

Figure 8.  Children Served, by Federal Program and Type of Provider

Where to?

Top of page
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Full Report

Home Pages:
Human Services Policy (HSP)
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Last updated 11/28/01