Center-based Child Care Research Articles

Designing a childhood obesity preventive intervention using the multiphase optimization strategy: The Healthy Bodies Project.

Preventing the development of childhood obesity requires multilevel, multicomponent, comprehensive approaches. Study designs often do not allow for systematic evaluation of the efficacy of individual intervention components before the intervention is fully tested. As such, childhood obesity prevention programs may contain a mix of effective and ineffective components. This article describes the design and rationale of a childhood obesity preventive intervention developed using the multiphase optimization strategy, an engineering-inspired framework for optimizing behavioral interventions. Using a series of randomized experiments, the objective of the study was to systematically test, select, and refine candidate components to build an optimized childhood obesity preventive intervention to be evaluated in a subsequent randomized controlled trial. A 24 full factorial design was used to test the individual and combined effects of four candidate intervention components intended to reduce the risk for childhood obesity. These components were designed with a focus on (a) improving children's healthy eating behaviors and nutrition knowledge, (b) increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary activity in the childcare setting, (c) improving children's behavioral self-regulation, and (d) providing parental web-based education to address child target outcomes. The components were tested with approximately 1400 preschool children, ages 3-5 years in center-based childcare programs in Pennsylvania, the majority of which served predominantly Head-Start eligible households. Primary child outcomes included healthy eating knowledge, physical and sedentary activity, and behavioral self-regulation. Secondary outcomes included children's body mass index and appetitive traits related to appetite regulation. Four intervention components were developed, including three classroom curricula designed to increase preschool children's nutrition knowledge, physical activity, and behavioral, emotional, and eating regulation. A web-based parent education component included 18 lessons designed to improve parenting practices and home environments that would bolster the effects of the classroom curricula. A plan for analyzing the specific contribution of each component to a larger intervention was developed and is described. The efficacy of the four components can be evaluated to determine the extent to which they, individually and in combination, produce detectable changes in childhood obesity risk factors. The resulting optimized intervention should later be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial, which may provide new information on promising targets for obesity prevention in young children. This research project highlights the ways in which an innovative approach to the design and initial evaluation of preventive interventions may increase the likelihood of long-term success. The lessons from this research project have implications for childhood obesity research as well as other preventive interventions that include multiple components, each targeting unique contributors to a multifaceted problem.

Regional Differences in Chinese Female Demand for Childcare Services of 0-3 Years: The Moderating and Mediating Effects of Family Childcare Context.

There are multiple reasons to consider the use of formal childcare: parental employment, child development, fertility choices, elderly health, generational relations, etc. This study explores the relationship between regional differences (urban/rural; eastern/central/western) and demand for childcare services (quantity, price, quality) from birth to three years of age, moderated and mediated by the family childcare contexts among Chinese women. Altogether, 1770 mothers of children aged 0-3 were selected from a national survey and analyzed. There are three major findings: (1) Urban mothers show a willingness to spend on the higher monetary cost of center-based childcare compared to rural mothers, as a result of more severe work-child conflicts faced by urban women. Urban-rural gaps in individual and household income also contribute to the differences in affordability. (2) Mothers in eastern China have a more substantial need to place their infants or toddlers in nurseries before the age of three than their counterparts in central and western China, primarily due to a lack of grandparental and paternal childcare support and an expectation of higher quality programs. (3) There is no significant regional disparity in terms of care-related or education-related quality preferences. The paper proposes regional prioritized strategies and targeted services to address the "3A" problems of childcare provision.

Effects of formal center-based care and positive parenting practices on children in foster care

BackgroundThe current study examined whether children in foster care have better cognitive and social-emotional outcomes at kindergarten age when they enroll in formal center-based care and when they receive positive parenting practices at home. ObjectiveTwo primary questions were addressed: (1) Do children in foster care who attended formal center-based care (including Head Start) have higher cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes than children in foster care who did not attend formal center-based care? (2) Does positive parenting practice promote better cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes? Participants and settingBased on the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-K: 2011 data, 299 children in foster care were selected. MethodsRegression analyses were conducted on children's cognitive and social-emotional scores by types of children's childcare arrangements (formal vs informal care) and positive parenting practices. Active parental involvement was measured based on how frequently parents read books with their children, and authoritarian parenting discipline was measured based on whether parents spanked their children. ResultsChildren in foster care who enrolled in formal center-based childcare at pre-school age have higher cognitive and socio-emotional scores at kindergarten age. Positive parenting practice also promotes children's outcomes. Children in foster care who are both enrolled in formal center-based care and experience positive parenting practice had the most positive outcomes. Conclusions.Parents raising children in foster care should be informed about the positive impacts of certain parenting practices on their children. Foster parents should be connected to available community resources, including formal-center-based preschool programs and required to continuously attend parenting classes to sustain positive impact of parenting practice on foster children.

Understanding the Effects of Workfare Policies on Child Human Capital

Workfare can impact child development by inducing parents to spend less time at home. I study the mechanisms by which workfare policies affect children using the New Hope workfare experiment. The program randomly assigned individuals to a policy bundle including income and childcare subsidies conditional on full-time work. For families with young children, the program had positive effects on child academic performance and classroom behavior. Counterfactual experiments from a dynamic discrete choice model indicate that most of the effect of New Hope on young children is explained by parents enrolling their children in center-based childcare.

Assessing Generalization During Professional Development in Child Care: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Early childhood care and education providers provide instruction to diverse learners, including children with developmental delays, but often lack training in the use of evidence-based instructional strategies to support children's meaningful learning engagement. This preliminary study examined effects of the Early Achievements for Child Care Providers professional development program with and without generalization training on center-based child care providers (N = 12). Outcomes assessed included providers' implementation fidelity, knowledge, and self-efficacy as well as children's (N = 43) social-communication skills and engagement in shared book reading. Results demonstrated that providers trained in a generalization context made larger gains in implementation fidelity in a generalization context; no other significant between-group differences were found for providers. Children in both groups made comparable, significant gains. Findings suggest that explicit generalization training is needed for providers to achieve fidelity when transferring newly learned evidence-based practices to additional classroom instructional contexts, but a brief interval of implementation likely is insufficient to differentially benefit child outcomes. Researchers should elicit providers' perceptions when designing professional development programs to maximize feasibility of investing additional time and resources for generalization training.

89 Centre-based child care attendance in early childhood and adiposity in later childhood: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background One in three children are living with overweight or obesity in North America. The burden of childhood obesity is disproportionately experienced by children from low-income families, who are more likely to have obesity. Centre-based child care attendance may influence important adiposity risk factors such as dietary intake, eating behaviour, and physical activity, but its impact on childhood obesity is unclear. Objectives The primary objective was to evaluate the relationship between the intensity of centre-based child care attendance between 1 and 4 years of age and Body Mass Index z-score (zBMI) from 4 to 10 years of age relative to non-centre-based child care (i.e., home-based, grandparents, relatives, and nanny’s). The secondary objective was to explore if family income modified the relationship. Design/Methods A prospective cohort study of children 1 to 10 years of age was conducted through the TARGet Kids! primary care research network. The primary exposure was intensity of centre-based child care attendance (hours/week). The primary outcome was zBMI, an age and sex adjusted measure of child adiposity. Interaction terms for child age and family income were explored. A linear mixed effects model and logistic generalized estimating equations were used to determine the association between centre-based child care attendance and child zBMI. Results 3,503 children were included (mean age: 2.7 years). Children who attended centre-based child care full time (40 hours/week) had a 0.11 lower zBMI at 4 years (95% CI -0.19, -0.03; p=0.005) and lower odds of obesity (zBMI > 2) at 4 (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.34, 0.99; p=0.04) and 10 years of age (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.29, 0.90; p=0.02) relative to children who attended non-centre-based child care. The relationship was modified by family income such that, children from families with an income of <$50,000CDN who attended centre-based child care full time had a 0.35 (95% CI -0.56, -0.15; p=0.001), 0.34 (95% CI -0.54, -0.13, p=0.001) and 0.29 (95% CI -0.50, -0.07, p=0.009) lower zBMI at 4, 7 and 10 years of age, respectively, relative to children who attended non-centre-based child care. Conclusion Centre-based child care attendance in early childhood was associated with lower adiposity and odds of obesity in later childhood. This relationship was stronger for children who were from lower income families. Centre-based child care may be an effective early intervention to prevent childhood obesity.

Early childcare type and child development at age 3.5 years, data from the French ELFE cohort

Abstract Background Early childcare has been linked to child development in some countries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of early childcare in the French context, where children can attend different types of childcare facilities prior to age 3 when they enter kindergarten, and development at age 3.5 years. Methods 10,683 children from the ELFE French national birth cohort were classified into 4 groups depending on their main type of childcare between birth and age three: childminder (n = 5,014), centre-based childcare (n = 2,583), informal childcare (n = 777) and parents only (n = 2,465). Children's development was measured with the short form of the Child Development Inventory (CDI) via parents-reports at age 3.5 years. The CDI score was transformed into a Development Quotient (DQ) taking into account the child's age, and global developmental delay was defined as DQ < 90. Missing data was imputed by Fully Conditional Multiple Imputation with 10 imputations. Multinomial analyses were carried out adjusted by Inverse Probability Weighting based on Propensity Scores calculated using main selection and confounding variables. Results Compared to children who were cared for by parents only, children who were cared for by a childminder or in a centre-based childcare had a higher DQ (103.0 and 104.8 respectively) as well as a lower likelihood of global developmental delay (propensity-score weighted OR = 0.84, [95% CI 0.70-1.01] and propensity-score weighted OR = 0.54, [95% CI 0.44-0.66]) respectively. Conclusions In the French context, early centre-based childcare attendance is significantly associated with a lower risk of global child delay. Policies should make centre-based childcare more accessible to a broader number of children. Key messages • Early childcare type is linked to child development in France. • Children in centre-based childhood had a lower likelihood of developmental delay compared to those looked after by parents only.

Childcare centre for work efficiency of employed parents: perception analysis for business prospects

PurposeThis study aims to explore whether the working parents' perception about the necessity of childcare centres for their work efficiency is associated with their anxieties and concerns related to their dual responsibilities, i.e. providing proper parental childcare and maintaining work efficiency.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 100 employed parents, from the Jashore region of Bangladesh, was surveyed, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.FindingsIt was revealed that there is a strong association between the perceived negative impact on job performance, childcare, child development, work efficiency and perceived need for a childcare centre.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this study is that it was confined to Jashore University of Science and Technology. The results may differ from those of the study conducted outside this study area and the methodology used here.Practical implicationsThis study has significant practical implications for employers, childcare service providers and policy makers, especially in Bangladesh. The employers will be able to understand the demand for childcare services centres among the employed parents in respective organizations. It will draw attention of employers of knowledge intensive industries and grants commission to the issue of conflict of work and childcare-related responsibilities of employed parents. This will also make employers conscious about the dilemma that is undergone by employed parents motivating them to take actions for minimizing such conflicts to ensure better job performance of working parents.Social implicationsBased on this study, childcare providers and other policy makers will be able to ascertain the potential size of the childcare market and determine the requirement for investment in childcare-related human resources development. As the work and childcare responsibilities compete for limited time of working parents, either childcare or job performance suffers. This causes concerns, anxieties or remorse, which again hampers the job performance further. Therefore, this study may motivate the university authority around the world, specifically those in Bangladesh, to provide childcare facilities for its faculties, students and other employees.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on growing demand for centre-based childcare services in an emerging economy context. It provides evidence of high demand for on- and off-site childcare centres to enhance work efficiency of working parents.

Comparing center-based with home-based child care: type of care moderates the association between process quality and child functioning

This study compares process quality and child functioning in Dutch center-based care and home-based care and explores the role of the dyadic caregiver-child relationship. Participants in this study included 228 children from 74 locations (154 attending center-based child care, 74 home-based child care; mean age 2.5 years). The level of emotional and behavioral support and caregiver-child closeness was higher in home-based care than center-based care, whereas quality of the physical environment was higher in center-based child care. Children's well-being was higher and levels of problem behavior were lower in home-based care compared to center-based care. The caregiver-child relationship was related to a higher level of well-being and less problem behavior. Process quality was more strongly related to children's functioning in home-based child care compared to center-based child care. The dyadic relationship quality is an important element of the care ecology of preschool children and predicts child functioning in both home-based and center-based care.

The Impact of Centre‐based Childcare on Non‐cognitive Skills of Young Children

Early development of non‐cognitive skills has long‐lasting benefits for children's subsequent educational attainment and wages. Drawing on a rich, nationally representative longitudinal sample of young children in Ireland, we present new evidence on whether the use of centre‐based childcare (CBC) in infancy and early years promotes non‐cognitive skills by school entry. We focus on the type of non‐parental childcare used by mothers who are working when their child is 9 months old, comparing CBC with other forms of non‐parental care. We consider the impact of childcare type on three domains of socio‐emotional skills: externalizing, internalizing and prosocial behaviours. We find negative effects of CBC on both externalizing and prosocial behaviours. With a cumulative value‐added model, we estimate that CBC at age 3 worsens externalizing behaviour at age 5 by 0.11 standard deviations compared to other forms of non‐parental care, equivalent to 44% of the difference in externalizing behaviour between children with a mother with/without tertiary education. The effect of CBC on the externalizing dimension of socio‐emotional skills of children entering school is consistent across several specifications and robustness checks. Given planned expansion of CBC for those needing subsidized provision, we conclude that such measures could exacerbate socio‐emotional inequalities.

From time-out to expulsion: A national review of states’ center-based child care licensing exclusionary discipline regulations

State-level child care licensing regulations dictate required policy elements and allowable disciplinary options available to programs, with permitted exclusionary discipline strategies ranging from a brief time-out to expulsion. This national review presents a qualitative content analysis of exclusionary discipline regulations within state-level, center-based child care licensing policies. As exclusionary discipline is disproportionally applied to boys, children of color, and children with disabilities, examining what is and is not allowed in terms of exclusionary discipline is important to ensure equity and access. The findings include an overview of the allowed versus prohibited exclusion practices, and within-program versus out-of-program exclusions, including expulsions, as well as details regarding specificity in required policy and practice at the program level. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.

Promoting interactive skills and mind-mindedness among early childcare professionals: study protocol for a randomized wait-list controlled trial comparing the Circle of Security approach with care as usual in center-based childcare (the SECURE project)

BackgroundIn countries where the majority of young children are enrolled in professional childcare, the childcare setting constitutes an important part of children’s caregiving environment. Research consistently shows that particularly the quality of the daily interactions and relationship between young children and their professional caregivers have long-term effects on a range of developmental child outcomes. Therefore, professional caregivers’ capacity for establishing high quality interactions with the children in their care is an important target of intervention.MethodsA prospective, parallel, cluster-randomized wait-list controlled trial is used to test the efficacy of the attachment- and mentalization theory informed Circle of Security (COS) approach adapted to the childcare setting (COS-Classroom) on caregiver interactive skills and mind-mindedness. Participants are professional caregivers of children aged 0–2.9 years working in center-based childcare in Denmark. Approximately 31 childcare centers, corresponding to an estimated 113 caregivers, are expected to participate. The primary outcome is caregiver Sensitive responsiveness measured with the Caregiver Interactive Profile Scales (CIP-scales). Secondary outcomes include caregiver Mind-mindedness, the five remaining CIP-scales (Respect for autonomy, Structure and limit setting, Verbal communication, Developmental stimulation, and Fostering positive peer interactions), and caregivers’ resources to cope with work-related stress. Data on structural factors (e.g., staff stability, caregiver-child ratio, and level of pre-service education), caregiver attachment style, acceptability and feasibility of the COS-C together with qualitative data on how the participants experience the COS-C is additionally collected to investigate moderating and confounding effects.DiscussionExamining the effectiveness of the COS-C in center-based childcare contributes to the knowledge of evidence-based intervention programs and can potentially improve the caregiver quality early childcare.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04654533. Prospectively registered December 4, 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04654533.

Centre-Based Child Care Attendance in Early Childhood and Growth in Later Childhood: A Prospective Cohort Study

ObjectivesAttending centre-based child care in early childhood may influence important health behaviours including nutrition, physical activity and routines related to child growth and weight status. The primary objective was to evaluate the relationship between centre-based child care attendance between 1 and 4 years of age and Body Mass Index z-score (zBMI) from 4 to 10 years of age relative to non-centre-based child care (i.e., home-based, grandparents, relatives, and nanny's). The secondary objective was to explore if family income and child age modified the relationship.MethodsA prospective cohort study of children aged 1 to 10 years was conducted through the TARGet Kids! primary care research network. The exposure was centre-based child care attendance (hours/week). Outcomes were zBMI and odds of overweight and obesity (zBMI > 1). Interaction terms for child age and family income were explored. Linear mixed effect models and logistic generalized estimating equations were used.Results3,503 children who attended child care were included (mean age: 2.7 years at baseline). Children who attended centre-based care full-time (40 hours/week) had a 0.11 (95% CI: −0.19, −0.03; p = 0.01) lower zBMI at 4 and 7 years of age and lower odds of overweight/obesity at 4 years of age (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.62, 0.97; p = 0.03) relative to children who attended non-centre-based care. Children from families with income < $50,000CDN who attended centre-based care full time had a 0.32 (95% CI: −0.50, −0.14; p = 0.001) lower zBMI and lower odds of overweight/obesity (OR 0.52; 95% CI: 0.28, 0.99; p = 0.05) at 10 years of age relative to children who attended non-centre-based care.ConclusionsAttending centre-based child care in early childhood was associated with a lower zBMI and lower odds of overweight/obesity in later childhood, and associations were stronger for children from lower income families. Centre-based child care may be an effective early intervention for the prevention of childhood obesity.Funding SourcesCanadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Investigating the Differential Effects of Early Child Care and Education in Reducing Gender and Racial Academic Achievement Gaps From Kindergarten to 8th Grade

We used the generalized propensity score method to estimate the differential effects of five Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) experiences (Prekindergarten, Head Start, Center-based Child Care, Home-based Child Care, and Parental Care) in reducing math and reading achievement gaps between boys versus girls, Latinx versus Whites, and Blacks versus Whites. Findings revealed differential effects of ECCE in reducing gender and racial achievement gaps. However, results indicated that significant gender and racial gaps still exist despite ECCE experiences and that these gaps widen throughout the elementary and middle school years.

How Do Online Educated Early Childhood Teachers Learn to Teach?

Little was known about how online credential recipients developed practical expertise in childcare. The purpose of the study was to explore how online recipients of the Child Development Associate credential developed practical expertise in early childhood education without the benefit of an apprenticeship. Learning the practice of teaching from qualified “more knowledgeable others” through an apprenticeship is a feature of teacher preparation in public-school contexts yet missing in preparation for childcare teachers. Vygotsky’s Social Construction of Knowledge formed the conceptual framework of the study. The research question addressed the application of content knowledge and identification of problems in classroom situations. Ten center-based childcare teachers who earned a Child Development Associate credential online were interviewed. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed Child Development Associate credential recipient-teachers had little opportunity for observation by others in teaching contexts, relying primarily on trial and error and self-initiated actions to gain teaching practical expertise. Findings from this research demonstrates the need for early childhood professional apprenticeship experiences that might contribute to better teaching and improved outcomes for young children. Keywords: Apprenticeship, expert-novice research, Child Development Associate or CDA, early childhood, online or distance learning

Predicting participation in the child care subsidy system from provider features, community characteristics, and use of funding streams

Child care is not affordable for many U.S. families, particularly those living in poverty. Child care subsidies and other sources of public funding for early education can assist low-income families with accessing child care. However, the number of providers that accept child care subsidies is declining, threatening both the sustainability of these government programs and access to early care and education for families from low-income backgrounds. The current study identifies factors that may influence center-based child care providers’ subsidy system participation using nationally representative data from the 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education (n = 7771). Our results suggest that certain features of providers, such as having a quality rating, and the poverty density of the community within which a center operates may be positively related to subsidy system participation. In addition, we find that programs serving infants and toddlers are more likely to accept child care subsidies than early childhood programs that focus exclusively on preschool-age children. Findings also indicate that receipt of other sources of public and private funding is associated with subsidy system participation. The findings of this study help identify priorities for policymakers seeking to incentivize provider participation in the subsidy system.

Association of Child Masking With COVID-19–Related Closures in US Childcare Programs

It is not known how effective child masking is in childcare settings in preventing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. This question is critical to inform health policy and safe childcare practices. To assess the association between masking children 2 years and older and subsequent childcare closure because of COVID-19. A prospective, 1-year, longitudinal electronic survey study of 6654 childcare professionals at home- and center-based childcare programs in all 50 states was conducted at baseline (May 22 to June 8, 2020) and follow-up (May 26 to June 23, 2021). Using a generalized linear model (log-binomial model) with robust SEs, this study evaluated the association between childcare program closure because of a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case in either children or staff during the study period and child masking in both early adoption (endorsed at baseline) and continued masking (endorsed at baseline and follow-up), while controlling for physical distancing, other risk mitigation strategies, and program and community characteristics. Child masking in childcare programs as reported by childcare professionals at baseline and both baseline and follow-up. Childcare program closure because of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case in either children or staff as reported in the May 26 to June 23, 2021, end survey. This survey study of 6654 childcare professionals (mean [SD] age, 46.9 [11.3] years; 750 [11.3%] were African American, 57 [0.9%] American Indian/Alaska Native, 158 [2.4%] Asian, 860 [12.9%] Hispanic, 135 [2.0%] multiracial [anyone who selected >1 race on the survey], 18 [0.3%] Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 5020 [75.4%] White) found that early adoption (baseline) of child masking was associated with a 13% lower risk of childcare program closure because of a COVID-19 case (adjusted relative risk, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77-0.99), and continued masking for 1 year was associated with a 14% lower risk (adjusted relative risk, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.74-1.00). This survey study of childcare professionals suggests that masking young children is associated with fewer childcare program closures, enabling in-person education. This finding has important public health policy implications for families that rely on childcare to sustain employment.

Through the lens of early educators: Understanding the use of expulsion and suspension in childcare programs

As a means to comprehend barriers and challenges to the agenda of early care and education, this study was designed to understand the practice of expulsion and suspension in early childhood settings, particularly center-based childcare programs. Qualitative data were obtained through interviews with 9 teachers and 4 administrators from 3 childcare programs. State- and program-level policies were analyzed. Results reveal that preschoolers are expelled and suspended for a variety of behaviors. Expulsion and suspension are used to achieve 3 purposes: protecting the interests of others, addressing families, and addressing challenging behaviors. Although participants agreed that expulsion and suspension have failed to address family or challenging behaviors exhibited by children, there is a consensus that such practices are necessary to protect the interests of other children, adults, and the program.

Associations of Childcare Arrangements with Adiposity Measures in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Cohort: The GUSTO Study.

Childcare arrangements shape behavioural patterns that influence the risk of childhood obesity. However, little is known of its influence on childhood obesity in Singapore. We aim to examine the associations between childcare arrangements at the age of 5 years and childhood adiposity at age 6 years. Children from the GUSTO study were grouped into three childcare arrangements at age 5: full-time centre-based childcare (FC), partial centre-based with parental care (PCP), and partial centre-based with non-parents (grandparents and domestic helpers) as caregivers (PCN). Diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour information were collected at age 5, while anthropometric measurements were collected at age 6. Associations were analysed using multivariable regression models. Among 540 children, those in PCN had higher BMI z-scores (β: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.66), greater sum of skinfold thicknesses (mm) (β: 3.75; 95% CI: 0.53, 6.97) and were 3.55 times (95% CI: 1.78, 7.05) more likely to be overweight/obese than those in FC. Adiposity measures in PCP children did not differ from those in FC. PCN children were reported to have more screen time and greater fast-food intake. Children in PCN tended to have higher adiposity measures. Greater engagement of non-parental caregivers should be considered in interventions targeting child obesity.

Reasons Given by ECEC Professionals for (Not) Being in Contact With Parents During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the German government took drastic measures and ordered the temporary closure of early childhood education and care services (apart from emergency care). Most pedagogical professionals in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings were unable to provide institutional care for children during this period, and thus experienced difficulties fulfilling their legally mandated professional obligation to educate children. Building on the importance of professional–parent collaboration, this study investigates the reasons ECEC professionals gave for (not) being in contact with parents during the pandemic. The database comprises a nationwide survey conducted between April and May 2020 (n = 2,560 ECEC professionals). The results show that the vast majority of respondents were in contact with parents; their stated motives include providing informational or emotional support for parents and children, maintaining a relationship, or inquiring about family wellbeing. The explanations for not being in contact with parents include already existing contact with parents by another member of the ECEC staff, an employer-mandated contact ban, problems on the parents’ side, or personal reasons. We find some differences between managers in center-based childcare, pedagogical employes in center-based childcare, and professionals in family based childcare. Practical implications concerning professional–parent collaboration and the temporary closure of ECEC services are discussed.