Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care is child care provided by family members, friends, neighbors, or babysitters, and it is often defined by what it's not. It's not licensed child care, which is provided by teachers and child care workers in child care centers or family child care homes that follow regulations set by the state regarding…

Non-parental arrangements for young children serve a dual function as supports for parental activities and educational inputs for children. However, arrangements that are suited to meet families' specific needs and preferences are sometimes in tension with experts' definitions of "quality." Researchers and policymakers increasingly…

The use of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) in combination with other funding has been an important factor in the development of initiatives to expand and improve child care services in rural areas. Based on their personal knowledge, a technical advisory group and experts recommended states with innovative, unique, and successful…

Evaluated the impact of training and experience on the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of AmeriCorps child-care volunteers in North Carolina. Found that Corps members completed successful training, but, after nine months of service, showed a decline in the appropriateness of their interactions with children. (JS)