This exploratory study aims to explore and analyse the process of parental decision-making for baby rooms in daycare centres, within the Portuguese context of early childhood education and care. The theoretical framework is based on the accommodation model. Methodologically, the research is based on a qualitative and interpretative approach…

Childcare instability can negatively affect family well- being. Yet not all childcare changes are bad for families. This qualitative study (N = 85) examines work, family, provider, and subsidy- related factors contributing to childcare changes among families with low incomes. We focus on the desirability--the extent to which parents wanted to…

Parents (N = 123; 90% Caucasian; 99% with college experience) of young children (ages 1-5) were asked to list the top three reasons for their childcare choices. Parents were also asked a hypothetical question about how their childcare choices would have changed if money were no object. Results showed that the majority of participants who chose…

Background: Early care and education providers cite lack of parent engagement as a central barrier to promoting healthy behaviors among young children. However, little research exists about factors influencing parent engagement with promoting healthy eating and activity behaviors in the this setting. Aims: This study aimed to address this gap by…

Focussing on the experiences and perceptions of parents and volunteer caregivers of children with disabilities, this paper reports on a study that explored the provision of early childhood development and inclusive education for children with disabilities in rural Malawi. Drawing on a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design, ten local…

Purpose: This study sought to determine how children's participation in physical activity during a mastery-motivational climate changed during a 20-week intervention and to compare it to children's free-play activity during a typical day at their local day-care facility. Method: Twelve 4-year-old children participated in a mastery-motivational…

Purpose: This study aimed to: (a) compare the physical activity (PA) levels (i.e., moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA] and total PA [TPA]) of preschoolers in 3 different early-learning environments (center-based childcare, home-based childcare, and full-day kindergarten [FDK]); and (b) assess which characteristics (e.g., play equipment, policies, etc.)…

The objective of this study was to examine how quantity, type, and quality of care interact in predicting externalizing and internalizing behaviors of 36-month-old children attending Quebec's educational child care from their first years of life. To do so, the authors examined two hypothesized models: (1) a mediation model where quantity, type,…

Research Findings: The teacher-child relationships that develop in infant/toddler child care provide a critical caregiving context for young children's socioemotional development. However, gaps remain in researchers' understanding of the individual-level processes that facilitate socioemotional development, specifically in center-based…

To better understand and promote healthy nutritional behaviour development in children, research suggests the need to develop a stronger comprehension of influences from their social environment. Yet research has favoured studying parents, with little attention being paid to other important individuals in children's lives, especially from a…

In this article, interviews with eight managers and questionnaires from 75 practitioners are analysed to explore their perceptions of the role of pacifiers (or dummies) within the nursery. Managers and practitioners source their knowledge from the media, family/friends, and short professional speech and language courses; however, their perceptions…

In this qualitative study, the relationship development process of three infant-caregiver dyads in a university-affiliated childcare setting was explored and some contributing factors to the development were identified. Data were collected through multiple methods (observations, video recordings, interviews, documents) for a semester. The findings…

We reviewed nine studies in which children's cortisol levels at center daycare were assessed. Our first hypothesis, concerning intraindividual differences in cortisol levels across home and daycare settings, was also tested in a meta-analysis. Our main finding was that at daycare children display higher cortisol levels compared to the home…