ERIC Number: ED538381
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Nov
Pages: 10
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Providing High Quality Care in Low-Income Areas of Maryland: Definitions, Resources, and Challenges from Parents and Child Care Providers' Perspectives. Publication #2012-45
Forry, Nicole; Simkin, Shana; Wessel, Julia; Rodrigues, Katherine
Child Trends
Early life experiences are critical to a child's development. Research has shown that, for a variety of reasons, children born into low-income families are at a disadvantage when compared to their higher-income peers. Fortunately, research has also shown a positive association between high quality child care and the academic and social-emotional outcomes of children in low-income families. Though an abundance of national research has identified empirically-based indicators of high quality care, less has been published about community-based child care providers' and parents' definitions of quality. Understanding how child care providers define high quality care is important information as it can be used to market and design professional development opportunities to providers. Understanding parents' perspectives can facilitate effective marketing of state-based initiatives, such as Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, designed to educate parents and facilitate their ability to select high quality child care for their children. The purpose of this brief is to describe the perspectives and experiences of parents and child care providers in accessing and providing high quality care. This research brief uses data from focus groups with low-income parents and child care center directors and family child care providers serving children who have a child care subsidy to describe care from multiple perspectives. Focus groups with center directors and family child care providers were used to obtain information on how community-based providers define high quality care and to identify challenges and supports to providing high quality care. Focus groups with parents also addressed definitions of high quality care and challenges and supports in accessing high quality care arrangements. (Contains 1 table and 17 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Child Care, Definitions, Low Income Groups, Focus Groups, Access to Education, Child Development, Parents, Parent Attitudes, Caregivers, Attitude Measures, Child Care Centers, Financial Support, Community Programs, Poverty, Educational Quality, Safety, Hygiene, Educational Environment, Play, Teacher Competencies, Teacher Student Ratio, Space Utilization, Teacher Student Relationship, Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Holistic Approach, Learning Activities, Family School Relationship, Educational Resources, Well Being, Barriers, Costs, Trust (Psychology)
Child Trends. 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 350, Washington, DC 20008. Tel: 202-572-6000; Fax: 202-362-8420; Web site: http://www.childtrends.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation
Authoring Institution: Child Trends
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A