The study explores the relationship between child care program administration, organizational climate, and global quality. The recently developed Program Administration Scale (PAS; Talan & Bloom, 2004) was utilized in the study. Both program administration and organizational climate were found to be positively correlated with preschool…

This paper presents a qualitative analysis concerning child care practices by six African American directors of subsidized child care centers located in a low-income, racial ethnic minority area of Los Angeles, California. These programs are traditionally African American programs that experienced an influx of Latino immigrant enrollment. Using…

Meta-analysis aggregated results of 40 investigations involving 2,867 children who averaged 29.6 ("SD" = 8.6) months of age when their attachments to care providers were assessed using either the Strange Situation (SS) or the Attachment Q-Set (AQS). As opposed to parents, secure attachments to nonparental care providers were less likely (using SS)…

As the documented assessment of children becomes a taken-for-granted function of "what teachers do", concerns are rightly raised about the time involved and the usefulness of this to enhance learning and teaching. This article draws on data collected as part of the development of "Kei Tua o te Pae, Assessment for Learning: Early…

Child-staff ratios are an important quality indicator. They are often collected by observing one randomly selected classroom several times during a 2-h period on a single day. However, it is unclear whether these measures represent the ratios that children actually experience during most of their time in care. This study compared ratio data…

The education and care of children is traditionally a family duty in the Hungarian culture. This is especially true for small (under 3 years) children. This is well transcribed into the social-welfare system: the child care allowance is paid for the mother for up to the second birthday of the child. Even after there is another kind of allowance…

The Saint Paul Public Schools' Project Early Kindergarten program aims to improve the school readiness of Saint Paul children. The program offers a rigorous academic approach and targets children who are English Language Learners, come from low-income families, or need Special Education services. Ultimately, the program intends to help close Saint…

Noting that there has been no national policy on child care, Canada has relied on non-profit organizations and privately owned businesses to provide most of its child care services. Historically, federal funding policies and provincial choices have produced wide differences across the country in the distribution of non-profit, for-profit and…

Offers guidelines for putting a monetary value on a child care business. Discusses reasons for valuing the business, types of valuations (book, liquidation, and fair market), fair market valuation formulas, the corporate valuation, valuing assets included in a sale, and using experts. Also offers several tips for selling a child care business. (EV)

Examines reasons for slowed growth in employer child care over the past two years. Discusses the impact of the economic recession, organizational changes in the largest employer child care management organizations, international acquisitions of the Bright Horizons child care organization, flexible options for the child care benefit, and the…

Suggests ways to improve the success of substitute preschool teachers, including orienting the substitute to the program schedule, curriculum, and other aspects of the position and program; making the substitute feel valued; and preparing staff to work with substitutes. Includes samples of a substitute fact sheet and evaluation form. (JPB)

Professionals in family and consumer sciences (FCS) encounter children with an autism diagnosis more frequently than they did in the past, but often have had no specific preparation for working with this population. The Paula and Anthony Rich Center for the Study and Treatment of Autism at Youngstown State University was established to improve the…

Planning and tending a garden can be a great deal of fun. The opportunity to act as creator can be very appealing. However, anyone who has gardened for long has learned the necessity of accommodating nature and has developed a sense of humility in the process. Growing a center takes time, skill, and patience. In this article, the author presents…

Directors are in a key position to give centers an overall boost by holding fundraisers. As state and federal support decreases and budgets continue to shrink, there is growing pressure to supplement budgets with monies from other sources. Fundraising can provide a solution and boost the bottom line. While it may seem intimidating and time…

Every day, millions of three- and four-year-old children attend early education programs. The range of early childhood education program models includes, among others, state-funded pre-k, Head Start, and child care programs. Children attend these programs in public schools, private schools, colleges, businesses, community-based centers, and homes.…