Child Care Center Directors Research Articles

Analysis of the Demands of Incumbent Kindergarten and Childcare Center Directors for the Director Qualification Program of the Integration of Early Childhood Education and Care Institutions: Focusing on Focus Group Interviews (FGI)

Analysis of the Demands of Incumbent Kindergarten and Childcare Center Directors for the Director Qualification Program of the Integration of Early Childhood Education and Care Institutions: Focusing on Focus Group Interviews (FGI)

Barriers to access to local produce in an early childhood setting in rural Appalachia

This case study examines young children’s access to fresh local produce in childcare settings in rural Appalachia. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with childcare center directors participating in farm to early care and education programming were conducted in the spring of 2023. Centering the per­spective of childcare directors, this research explores why farm to school programming is diffi­cult to implement. It specifically addresses the bar­riers preventing early childcare centers from pro­viding access to fresh and local produce to enrolled children. Eight primary obstacles to implementing farm to early care and education programming were identified: lack of staff; too wide a variety of tasks for directors; the “extra” work that fresh pro­duce requires; lack of knowledge about how to grow food; lack of required kitchen equipment; need for additional funding; unclear or out-of-date regulations about food safety; and a lack of paren­tal time. Limitations of the research include the specific geographic location of the study and the long-lasting implications of the COVID-19 pan­demic. Recommendations drawn from this case study include improving communication between childcare centers and regulatory agencies; creative use of alternative gardening practices; participating in a regional food hub; and improved funding.

The childcare director’s role in preventing burnout: a positive-psychological examination of the caregivers’ lived experience

ABSTRACT This study applied a positive-psychological approach to examining childcare directors’ role in maintaining the stability of their staff from the caregivers’ and directors’ points of view. Most of the childcare centers in Israel are characterized by high burnout and turnover of staff members. Nevertheless, some teams stay stable, and turnover is minimal. This study explored the factors using 30 semi-structured interviews with childcare center directors and caregivers regarding their occupational stability. Findings suggested that the sense of belonging to the childcare center was one source of stability. The director acted as a safe haven, maintaining the caregivers’ wellbeing. Other success factors are related mainly to their relations with other staff members, with the director, and with the children, and also to proper management that provides professional training and treats them with respect. The study’s contribution is fourfold. First, it gives voice to a population of women who work under difficult conditions for low pay. Second, it highlights the role of the childcare director in maintaining staff stability. Third, implementing its findings is relevant to creating and improving models of training and supervising early childhood educators. Fourth, studying anti-burnout factors can strengthen teams and provide the children with positive relationships with significant others.

The metaphor analysis on the music education for early childhood perceived by child-care center directors

The metaphor analysis on the music education for early childhood perceived by child-care center directors

어린이집 원장의 인성, 그릿, 전문성 간의 경로분석

This study examined the mediating effect of grit in the relationship between personality and professionalism of child care center directors by identifying the path relationship among personality, grit, and professionalism of child care center directors. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to enhance the professionalism of child care center directors. In order to realize the purpose of the study, the degree of personality, grit, and professionalism was measured for 173 directors working at child care center in Busan. The results of the study are as follows. First, the personality of the child care center directors affected the professionalism. Second, the personality of the child care center directors affected grit. Third, the grit of the child care center directors affected the professionalism. Fourth, the grit of the child care center directors showed a partial mediating effect between personality and professionalism. Therefore, the personality and grit for the improvement of the professionalism of the child care center directors were discussed.

Incidence and Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in US Child Care Centers After COVID-19 Vaccines

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance studies in US child care centers (CCCs) in the post-COVID-19 vaccine era are needed to provide information on incidence and transmission in this setting. To characterize SARS-CoV-2 incidence and transmission in children attending CCCs (students) and their child care providers (CCPs) and household contacts. This prospective surveillance cohort study was conducted from April 22, 2021, through March 31, 2022, and included 11 CCCs in 2 cities. A subset (surveillance group) of CCPs and students participated in active surveillance (weekly reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] swabs, symptom diaries, and optional baseline and end-of-study SARS-CoV-2 serologic testing), as well as all household contacts of surveillance students. Child care center directors reported weekly deidentified self-reported COVID-19 cases from all CCPs and students (self-report group). SARS-CoV-2 infection in CCC students. SARS-CoV-2 incidence, secondary attack rates, and transmission patterns were determined from diary entries, self-reports to CCC directors, and case logs. Incidence rate ratios were measured using Poisson regression clustering on centers with a random intercept and unstructured matrix. From a total population of 1154 students and 402 CCPs who self-reported cases to center directors, 83 students (7.2%; mean [SD] age, 3.86 [1.64] years; 55 male [66%]), their 134 household contacts (118 adults [mean (SD) age, 38.39 (5.07) years; 62 female (53%)], 16 children [mean (SD) age, 4.73 (3.37) years; 8 female (50%)]), and 21 CCPs (5.2%; mean [SD] age, 38.5 [12.9] years; 18 female [86%]) participated in weekly active surveillance. There were 154 student cases (13%) and 87 CCP cases (22%), as defined by positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR or home antigen results. Surveillance students had a higher incidence rate than self-report students (incidence rate ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.3; P = .01). Students were more likely than CCPs to have asymptomatic infection (34% vs 8%, P < .001). The CCC secondary attack rate was 2.7% to 3.0%, with the upper range representing possible but not definite secondary cases. Whether the index case was a student or CCP, transmission within the CCC was not significantly different. Household cumulative incidence was 20.5%, with no significant difference in incidence rate ratio between adults and children. Household secondary attack rates were 50% for children and 67% for adults. Of 30 household cases, only 5 (17%) represented secondary infections caused by 3 students who acquired SARS-CoV-2 from their CCC. Pre- and poststudy seroprevalence rates were 3% and 22%, respectively, with 90% concordance with antigen or RT-PCR results. In this study of SARS-CoV-2 incidence and transmission in CCCs and students' households, transmission within CCCs and from children infected at CCCs into households was low. These findings suggest that current testing and exclusion recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 in CCCs should be aligned with those for other respiratory viruses with similar morbidity and greater transmission to households.

가정어린이집 원장의 전문성 증진을 위한 핵심역량 탐색

Objectives The purpose of this study is to elicit core competencies that are demanded for the promotion of professionalism in directors of home daycare centers.&#x0D; Methods To this end, the Delphi survey was conducted across three times targeting the panel of totally 19 experts comprising the professors of Early Childhood Education Department and the directors of child care centers. The primary survey consisted of the literature review and the draft in core competencies of child care center directors. The secondary survey was gathered the primary expert opinion, was arranged the draft of core competencies in home daycare center directors, and was examined the necessity and importance of this. The tertiary survey was finally confirmed the core competencies after looking through the representative nature, clarity, and inclusiveness of key competencies based on the draft that was formed in the secondary survey.&#x0D; Results First, the core competencies in home daycare center directors appeared to include job competency, interpersonal competency, leadership competency, problem- solving competency, and self-development capability. Second, the job competency as sub-capability in core competencies was indicated to include the achievement ability, leadership, the calling consciousness, the view of teaching, a strategy for job knowledge, skill and attitude, the resource management capability, and the ability to perform concurrent positions. The interpersonal competency was seen to include the attentive hearing, sympathy, intimacy, communication skill, caring others, positive personal relationship, creating an open atmosphere, and respect. And the leadership competency was shown to include leading by example, the ability to respond to a social change, the challenging spirit, the self directedness, tenacity, momentum, judgment, job performance, and providing the education opportunity. The problem- solving competency appeared to include problem- solving ability, collecting various opinions, a positive thought, forming horizontal relationship, and cooperation. Finally, the self-development capability was seen to include self- regulation ability, self-management ability, future-oriented goal, and information gathering capability.&#x0D; Conclusions This study has a significance with regard to having drawn the core competencies required by home daycare center directors. This is expected to be helpful for offering basic data in the event of a variety of the continuing education and the job training to promote professionalism in home daycare center directors, and for selecting the educational contents and seeking a support plan.

The Relative Contributions of Center Demographic, Director, Parental, Social, Environmental, and Policy Factors to Changes in Outdoor Play in Childcare Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relative contributions of factors from multiple social-ecological levels in explaining outdoor play changes in childcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Alberta, Canada, licensed childcare center directors (n = 160) completed an online questionnaire. For outcomes, changes in the frequency and duration of outdoor play in childcare centers during COVID-19 compared to before COVID-19 were measured. For exposures, center demographic, director, parental, social, environmental, and policy-level factors were measured. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted separately for winter (December-March) and nonwinter months (April-November). In most instances, factors at each social-ecological level explained a statistically significant amount of unique variance in changes in outdoor play in childcare centers during COVID-19. Full models accounted for more than 26% of the variance in the outcomes. Changes in parental interest in outdoor play was the most consistent correlate of changes in the frequency and duration of outdoor play in both winter and nonwinter months during COVID-19. In terms of changes in the duration of outdoor play, social support from the provincial government, health authority, and licensing, and changes in the number of play areas in licensed outdoor play spaces were also consistent correlates in both winter and nonwinter months during COVID-19. Factors from multiple social-ecological levels uniquely contributed to changes in outdoor play in childcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings can help inform interventions and public health initiatives related to outdoor play in childcare centers during and after the ongoing pandemic.

The State of Childcare: Exploring Childcare Center Directors' Perceptions on the Past, Present, and Future

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine childcare directors’ perceptions of the state of childcare centers throughout southwest Ohio. Seventeen directors were surveyed regarding the changes they have witnessed over the past decade, and how they envision the future of childcare. The results indicated that the childcare field has experienced many challenging issues such as, teacher retention, a lack of professionalism, and an increase in children’s behavior problems. In addition, directors discussed the need for higher pay to attract (and keep) qualified teachers. With added requirements from Ohio’s quality rating improvement system, programs were feeling overwhelmed and stressed. The COVID-19 pandemic also put a significant financial strain on programs, however, some directors believed that the pandemic helped to recognize the importance of childcare. The article concludes with recommendations for the future, and strategies to address the concerns discussed by the directors.

Analysis of importance performance levels for the Code of Ethics for Childcare Staff : Focusing on childcare center directors and childcare teachers

연구목적: 본 연구는 개정된 보육교직원 윤리강령에 대한 어린이집 원장과 보육교사의 중요도와실행도에 대한 인식을 알아보고자 하는 것이다. 방법: 연구대상은 어린이집 원장 100명과 보육교사 150명으로 총 250명이며 구글 웹을 이용한설문조사를 실시하였고, IPA분석방법을 사용하였다. 결과: 어린이집 원장과 보육교사가 인식한 윤리강령의 중요도-실행도의 IPA 분석 결과 보육교직원 윤리강령 개정안에 대한 어린이집 원장과 보육교사의 인식은 윤리강령 항목의 실행도 보다는중요도를 높게 인식하는 것으로 나타났고. 특히 영유아의 윤리영역에 대한 중요도와 실행도가높았다. 지속유지 영역, 집중노력 영역, 점진 개선 영역, 과잉노력 영역으로 나뉘었으며 지속유지영역의 항목이 가장 많았다. 결론: 윤리강령의 중요성을 높이고 현장에서 잘 실천될 수 있도록 교육을 지원해야하며. 실행이잘되지 못하는 부분에 대한 지속적인 연구와 대안을 마련하여 보육교직원으로서의 윤리강령준수가 잘 이루어질 수 있도록 해야 한다.Objectives: This study aims to examine the level of awareness of importance performance levels in the Code of Ethics for Childcare Staff. Methods: The subjects of this study were 100 heads and 150 teachers of the childcare centers(total 250. A survey was conducted using Google Web, and the IPA analysis method was used. Results: The analysis of importance and performance by the head and teachers of childcare centers perceived more strongly importance compared to performance with regard to the code of ethics. In particular, the importance and performance of the ethical domain of children were high. The Code of Ethics for Childcare Staff is divided into the areas of continuous maintenance, intensive effort, progressive improvement, and over effort. Conclusions: The importance of the Code of Ethics should be enhanced and related practice should be suitably done in the field. In particular, continuous research and alternatives on areas where implementation is not acceptable should be prepared so that compliance with the Code of Ethics by childcare staff can be achieved well.

S11-2 Cooperative planning with coaching elements in childcare centres: a qualitative investigation of childcare directors' perspectives

BackgroundInterventions to promote health-enhancing physical activity in early childhood education and care settings are most successful when tailored to the specific needs of each childcare centre and providing ongoing support to address context-specific barriers. Our research project therefore initiated organizational development processes in 12 childcare centres in Southern Germany supported by coaching and self-assessment tools. The staff of each centre was instructed to set three centre-specific SMART goals targeting physical activity and to use Goal Attainment Scaling in order to track the success at implementation. This qualitative study aims at exploring childcare centre directors' views on the guided planning process and identifying facilitators and barriers for its implementation.MethodsWe conducted guided semi-structured interviews with the directors of the centres after the 12- month organizational development process. 9 out of 12 directors were interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis with inductive category development.ResultsChildcare directors mainly considered themselves to be the person with the greatest responsibility for the success of the process. The coaching was regarded as helpful for structuring the process, involving the whole team and becoming clearer about goals. Several factors were identified as facilitators: a beneficial personnel situation, the intrinsic motivation of staff, good team cooperation, a high priority of physical activity, previous experience with similar projects, pressure for change, individual drivers, a good infrastructure, parents' support and support from the administrating organization. Reported barriers included team conflicts, lack of willingness to accept change and shortness of time.ConclusionsSeveral contextual and interpersonal factors seem to influence the extent to which a cooperative planning process can be implemented by the staff of a childcare centre. The results help understand the process of change as a complex interventional system in which the intervention cannot be considered separately from the context.

어린이집 원장의 아동학대 신고의무자 역할수행 경험 탐색

Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions, actual responses, and demands of child care center directors as a mandatory reporter for child abuse and neglect. Methods Six directors of child care center, which are legally obligated to report child abuse and neglect, were interviewed twice each. If it needs more information, one or two additional interviews were conducted by telephone or in person. A qualitative research method was used for analysis. Results Directors’ perceptions about a mandatory reporter for child abuse and neglect were as follows: recognized as a role that (1) should be performed by obligation, (2) is accompanied by fear, (3) is troubled by a relationship, and (4) is a difference of position in the job. The actual response to the mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect was classified into (1) observing and confirming more sensitively than an immediate report, (2) giving a direct or indirect warning rather than a report, (3) mediating conflicts related to the report, and (3) taking responsibility after careful reporting. To develop ability as a mandatory reporter for child abuse and neglect, directors’ demands were as follows: (1) improvement of education for directors obligated to report child abuse and neglect, (2) protection of reporting persons and daycare center, and (3) improvement of perspective on reporting of Child abuse and Neglect. Conclusions The director of the daycare center recognized that there were things to consider as a director when taking on the role of a mandatory reporter to report child abuse and neglect. Therefore, rather than reporting immediately as specified in the actual law, they prioritized their own countermeasures. In addition, in order to fulfill the role of reporting duty as the director of child care center, various improvements were requested. The results of this study will provide basic data to understand the experience of the director of a daycare center as a person obligated to report child abuse, and will be helpful preparing an effective plan for the role of a report duty officer reflecting the characteristics.

어린이집 원장이 생각하는 보육교사 휴게시간 운영의 의미와 고충

Objectives This study explored the meaning and difficulties of the head of the daycare center due to the mandatory operation of rest time. Methods For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted from August 20 to September 20, 2021 with 7 principles of child care centers in Seoul using the phenomenological and qualitative research method of Colaizzi (1978). Data analysis is used by the phenomenological rearch method of Colaizzi (1978) to repeatedly read the transcribed content, also grasp the overall context of the experience of operating break time, explore related experiences. therefore a collection of topics is categorized, so that can reveal this structure and finally Four thematic collections and ten constructive meanings were derived. Results A total of 4 themes and 10 compositional meanings were derived from the meaning and grievances of child care center director’ thought about daycare center teachers' compulsory rest time operation. The meaning of the break time operation was shown to firstly secure private time for teachers, and to improve the quality of welfare of childcare teachers by recharging energy through rest. Secondly, the director of the daycare center considered it meaningful to change the positive perception of parents and the director himself that childcare teachers have a right and secure a rest time through break time operation. The difficulties in operating break time are. First, the difficulty of operating an institution that does not take into account the position of the director who is the operator of the daycare center, the director who takes notice of the daycare teachers, and the operational ability of the director between the break time system and practice due to the possibility of safety accidents for infants and young children. As a result, relationships with members were difficult. The second difficulty of the daycare center director is that he constantly handles work even during breaks, intermittent breaks time for teachers due to individual childcare for infants and toddlers, and the lack of work of assistant teachers replaced to ensure breaks for homeroom teachers. It appeared as an obligatory break time, which could be just a pleasant illusion due to the ambiguous boundary of rest. Conclusions Through this study, the child care center principle should build a partnership that strengthens his/her ability to flexibly respond to the legal system as a manager, and the teachers and directors are more familiar with applying the break time-related system etc., should be given more benefits, and it is considered that a continuous fact-finding survey on the operation of break time is necessary.

Establishing multi-perspective instruments in early education during COVID-19: measuring the implementation of protective measures and the subjective level of information about pandemic-related regulations

This article describes the context, development, objectives, and content of three instruments. They stem from two questionnaires, used in the ERiK-Surveys 2020 and the Corona-KiTa-Study (CKS), two multi-perspective surveys which were developed by the German Youth Institute, to measure quality as well as challenges and solutions of the Corona pandemic in early childhood education and care (ECEC). The three instruments focus on (1) childcare center directors’ subjective level of information about pandemic-related regulations in the ERiK questionnaire and the extent of implementation of (2) hygiene and (3) protective measures in ECEC in the CKS questionnaire. First analyses suggest good performance and quality of the instruments. Further analyses (e.g., regarding validity and reliability) will be carried out. The instruments seem to be promising for future research, for example regarding medical questions in the field of ECEC.

유아교육기관 원장의 감성리더십에 대한 국내 학술지 연구동향

This study aims to suggest future directions by exploring the research trends on emotional leadership of kindergarten and child care center directors. For this, 47 papers were selected from domestic journal papers, and the research status, research subjects, research methods, and research contents were analyzed. As a result of the analysis, first, related research from 2011 to 2021 increased in 2020. increased in 2020 and has been published in 27 various journals. Second, the subjects of the study were conducted mainly by teachers of kindergarten and child care center, and qualitative research were 93.6%. Third, there were many studies in which the emotional leadership of kindergarten and child care center directors played a role as an independent variable, with 58% of studies on the effect of organizational and teacher on job-related variables, 26% on individual teachers, and 16% on relationships between infants, parents, and teachers. Finally, based on the results of the analysis, future research tasks and suggestions on emotional leadership of kindergarten and child care center directors were provided.

Differences in perception and application of child care center directors for the 2019 revised nuri course -2 years into the era of the covid-19 pandemic-

Differences in perception and application of child care center directors for the 2019 revised nuri course -2 years into the era of the covid-19 pandemic-

Cooperative planning in childcare centers to improve physical activity: a qualitative investigation of directors' perspectives.

SummaryInterventions to promote physical activity (PA) in childcare centers have been shown to increase children’s PA levels; moreover, a growing number of evidence-based best practice guidelines exist for this setting. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the facilitators of and barriers to the successful implementation of PA guidelines and interventions. We used Cooperative Planning to improve capabilities for PA in childcare centers. This qualitative study aimed to explore childcare center directors’ views on the Cooperative Planning process and identify the facilitators of and barriers to its implementation. We conducted guided semi-structured interviews with the directors of nine childcare centers after completion of the 12-month Cooperative Planning process. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis with inductive category development. Facilitators and barriers were systematized according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Cooperative Planning was regarded as being helpful for structuring the process and involving all team members. Several facilitators within the CFIR domains inner setting (structural characteristics, networks and communications, implementation climate), outer setting (support from parents and provider), characteristics of individuals (intrinsic motivation of the staff) and process (individual drivers) were identified. The reported barriers included structural characteristics (e.g. lack of time), networks and communications (e.g. team conflicts) and characteristics of individuals (e.g. lack of willingness to accept change). Several contextual and interpersonal factors seem to influence the extent to which a Cooperative Planning process can be implemented by a childcare center’s team. Future research is needed to evaluate the strategies needed to overcome the identified barriers.

Supportive leadership training effects on employee social and hedonic well-being: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we developed and evaluated a supportive leadership training (SLT) intervention designed to teach leaders ways to be supportive of their employees. Given the important role of supportive leaders in helping employees deal with excessive workloads, we theorized that the beneficial intervention effects on employee well-being would be particularly evident for employees who perceive higher levels of quantitative and qualitative workloads prior to the intervention. Using a cluster randomized controlled field trial, we tested the effects of the SLT on employee social well-being in terms of leader-member exchange (LMX) quality and employee hedonic well-being, including positive affective well-being, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. The participants in the training were directors of childcare centers in Germany. To rigorously evaluate the intervention effects at the employee level, we collected survey data at baseline, 1 month postintervention, and 6 months postintervention, and we used an intent-to-treat approach to analyze the data. A total of 496 employees from 77 childcare centers provided data at baseline, of whom 266 and 226 employees participated in the 1-month and 6-month surveys, respectively. Linear mixed-effects models showed that the effectiveness of the intervention in terms of LMX quality and emotional exhaustion varied depending on the employees' baseline perceptions of quantitative workloads, such that employees with higher quantitative workloads benefited more from the SLT. The findings of this study improve the understanding of the types of outcomes of SLT and contribute to clarifying for whom SLT is effective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Childcare Centers and Disaster Preparedness: Lessons from New Zealand

This exploratory study examines disaster preparedness in childcare centers. It was conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand—a small nation at risk to many types of hazards—to understand, ultimately, how best to keep very young children safe in disasters. To add to the discussion of disaster preparedness for childcare centers and children's vulnerability in disasters, the study utilized interviews with childcare center directors and teachers, government employees, and researchers, and carried out observations at childcare centers and at government-sponsored trainings. The themes that were identified in the data are five elements that are key in the process of implementing preparedness measures, namely regulation clarity, communication, leadership, training, and community networks. Factors that hinder or assist childcare center preparedness are discussed.

Q Methodological Approach to Types of Perception of Childcare Policy of the Childcare Center Director

Q Methodological Approach to Types of Perception of Childcare Policy of the Childcare Center Director