Features, measurement, and quality improvement in family childcare: a systematic literature review (SLR)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Family childcare (FCC), one of the most widely used childcare provision, is important to children's short and long-term development. FCC quality is receiving more attention in policy and international studies, although additional literature reviews are needed. This study is a systematic literature review(SLR) to identify relevant literature on FCC quality features, quality measurement and quality improvement published between 2002 and 2022 in English. Sixty-eight studies were screened and examined based on the country/region in which they were conducted, years of publication research methods, aims of research, and findings. The findings indicate that there has been an increasing trend in FCC studies, most of which are conducted in the United States. Structural and process quality have also been found to promote children's development. However, some inconsistencies in these findings still require more research, and there are some practical measurements and improvements that countries can learn from.