The major goal of the study is to examine how differences in child care experiences relate to children's social, emotional, intellectual, and language development, and to their physical growth and health. You can also learn about
other study goals in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development booklet.
The study collected detailed information on the features of child care and the experiences children have in different non-maternal child care settings. The study also collected specifics on the families of the children and on the children themselves.
Researchers collected data at 10 sites around the country. The study population was diverse and included children who were born healthy into a variety of backgrounds.