Family Child Care Research Articles

Using Learning Communities to Support Cantonese/Mandarin Family Child Care Providers in a Professional Development Intervention Program

High-impact educational practices can promote student involvement and learning outcomes, but are rarely tested in the community college setting—where involvement is a typical challenge to student success. For Family Child Care (FCC) providers, who tend to be older and overworked, higher-education training can be especially difficult. The present study examined the use of learning communities as a high-impact practice in Project Vista Higher Education Academy (PVHEA), a two-year professional development intervention program for Cantonese/Mandarin FCC providers at the East Los Angeles College in California. Quantitative and qualitative data during the inaugural term (January 2012-December 2013) indicated that PVHEA successfully helped FCC providers access and complete college coursework towards Child Development degrees and credentials. Course completion rate reached 100%, and the providers gradually increased course load while maintaining above-average grades. Positive changes were also observed in self-efficacy, aspirations, and professional image. The associated program challenges were discussed.

Home-Based Child Care Provider Education and Specialized Training: Associations With Caregiving Quality and Toddler Social-Emotional and Cognitive Outcomes

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Although there has been considerable research on the associations between the qualifications of teachers in center-based settings and preschool-age children’s developmental outcomes, very little is known about the relationships between home provider qualifications and the developmental outcomes of toddlers who attend licensed family child care settings or unregulated family, friend, and neighbor care settings. Analyzing a sample of toddlers and their providers drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, we found positive relationships between home-based quality and higher education degree (defined as an associate’s degree or at least a bachelor’s degree), field of major, and coursework in early childhood education or a related field. However, provider qualifications were unrelated to children’s cognitive outcomes and related to a limited number of social-emotional outcomes. Practice or Policy: Our results suggest that as states consider the spectrum of supports needed for strengthening home-based child care in ways that facilitate responsive and developmentally supportive caregiving, strategies should include opportunities for home-based care providers to pursue higher education. A more nuanced analysis of the content and comprehensiveness of providers’ formal education is needed to better understand relationships between toddlers’ social and cognitive development and providers’ formal education.

Engaging With Quality Improvement Initiatives: A Descriptive Study of Learning in the Complex and Dynamic Context of Everyday Life for Family Child Care Providers

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: This article reports on family child care providers’ views about their engagement with professional development programs, including providers who were and were not participating in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems in Los Angeles, California. Most providers participating in the study were taking active steps to improve their work with children, but only a few providers described themselves as satisfied with the programs available. First, we report on why providers chose to engage (or not) in formal professional development activities; specifically, we explore the relationship between career phase and engagement and the levels of participation reported by seasoned providers. Second, we describe the way many providers strategically self-customized their quality improvement (QI) activities by drawing flexibly on available programs or by finding a coach who would work with them on their specific needs. Practice or Policy: Our findings suggest that in order to increase engagement with formal QI systems, designers of professional development supports must better align these supports with the needs and interests of family child care providers in terms of content and modes of delivery. We propose the concept of just-in-time professional development as 1 way to make QI offerings more responsive to some family child care providers’ needs.

Are Meals and Snacks Consumed by Preschool‐aged Children in Family Child Care Homes Meeting the Dietary Guidelines?

Although family child care homes (FCCH) are the second most utilized form of non‐relative child care in the US, little is known about what children eat in this setting. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of meals and snacks consumed by children aged 2–5 in FCCH compared to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA 2015). This study used baseline data from an ongoing cluster randomized controlled intervention trial in FCCH. Preschool‐aged children (n = 104; 2–5 years old) enrolled in 34 FCCH, were observed during two meals and a snack each day for two days, following a standardized protocol. Foods and beverages consumed were analyzed in the Nutrition Data System for Research 2015. Mean portion sizes consumed of each food group were compared to 2/3 of the daily intake recommendations established by the DGA 2015 for children 1–3 years old (1000 kcal) as recommendations are not standard for children 2–5 years old, proportional to the daily nutrient requirements for time spent in childcare. One‐sample t‐tests were run to test for differences between the mean amounts of food groups consumed compared to the national guidelines. Mean intakes of children did not meet the recommended 0.67 cup of vegetables (0.27 ± 0.21 cup, 40% of recommendation), 1.0 ounce of whole grains (0.37 ± 0.37 ounce, 37% of recommendation), and 14 grams of fiber (5.60 ± 2.14 gram, 40% of recommendation). However, children were close to meeting the recommended 0.67 cup of fruit (0.64 ± 0.46 cup, 97% of recommendation). Generally, children in this FCCH study did not meet national recommendations for vegetables, whole grain, and fiber. Future research should continue to develop and evaluate strategies to increase fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake in early child care settings.Support or Funding InformationThis project was supported by the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01HL123016

Opportunities to Practice What is Locally Valued: An Ecocultural Perspective on Quality in Family Child Care Homes

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Drawing from cultural approaches to human development (Rogoff, 2003; Weisner, 2002, 2005) and cognition (Quinn & Holland, 1987), this article presents a working model and theory of change for quality in family child care by defining quality as the alignment of children’s opportunities for learning and development with locally relevant ideals or cultural models. Providers—as the people responsible for organizing children’s day-to-day activity—are conceptualized as the agents of change, and daily routine activities are the primary targets for quality improvement efforts. Sustainability, or how much daily routines fit with the conditions and meaning for participants in a setting, is hypothesized to moderate the impact of experiences in family child care on children’s long-term development. Each component of the model is presented with supporting evidence from published and pilot research. Practice or Policy: Quality ratings capturing alignment between what is valued and done can better incorporate diversity in stakeholders’ ideas about what matters for children and can offer parents and providers more descriptive information about quality and how to maintain or improve it.

A Two-State Study of Family Child Care Engagement in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

ABSTRACTResearch Findings. The current study is a mixed-methods investigation of family child care provider participation in voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) in 2 states. Study 1 is an analysis of matched QRIS and child care licensing administrative data extracted from both states in May, 2014. Poverty and population density variables were added to the dataset by aligning U.S. Census data and Rural Urban Commuting Area codes (RUCA) to the matched state child care data. Participation patterns differed in the 2 states relative to provider characteristics (subsidy receipt, years licensed, and location). Study 2 consists of focus groups with participating (n = 22) and non-participating (n = 19) providers. Professionalism and financial incentives emerged as significant in attracting family child care providers to QRIS. Although family child care providers identified several clear benefits to QRIS, many more challenges emerged that negatively impact their participation. Practice or Policy. As most states are employing a QRIS framework to integrate quality improvement efforts, perspectives from this sector of early care and education are often overlooked. Study findings suggest that QRIS can be more responsive and effective with family child care providers if more consideration of their unique features are considered in systems design and implementation.

Big impact on small children: child-care providers’ perceptions of their role in early childhood healthy lifestyle behaviours

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to examine childcare providers’ perceptions of their role in child health behaviors and attitudes pertaining to physical activity and nutrition. Part and full-time providers in a childcare center or family childcare home were interviewed (n = 30) in this cross-sectional, qualitative study. Transcripts were digitally recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for general themes and sub-themes using a grounded theory by three investigators. All participants were women (100%), and most were employed full time (73%). Four general themes were identified with sub-themes: 1) teachers’ perceptions of their role; 2) teachers’ perceptions of lack of consistency between home and school; 3) teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about movement and; 4) teachers’ attitudes about food, feeding, and child nutrition. Providers emphasized their care-giving role and did not identify their role in shaping health behaviors. Engaging with parents is indispensable, but providers are often frustrated with parents’ double standards. They felt that movement was important, but that children were sufficiently active. Teachers encouraged eating, but acknowledged personal struggles with good nutrition. Empowering childcare teachers to serve as role models for all healthy behaviors may benefit child and teacher wellness.

Late Talkers: A Population-Based Study of Risk Factors and School Readiness Consequences.

This study was designed to (a) identify sociodemographic, pregnancy and birth, family health, and parenting and child care risk factors for being a late talker at 24 months of age; (b) determine whether late talkers continue to have low vocabulary at 48 months; and (c) investigate whether being a late talker plays a unique role in children's school readiness at 60 months. We analyzed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a population-based sample of 9,600 children. Data were gathered when the children were 9, 24, 48, and 60 months old. The risk of being a late talker at 24 months was significantly associated with being a boy, lower socioeconomic status, being a nonsingleton, older maternal age at birth, moderately low birth weight, lower quality parenting, receipt of day care for less than 10 hr/week, and attention problems. Being a late talker increased children's risk of having low vocabulary at 48 months and low school readiness at 60 months. Family socioeconomic status had the largest and most profound effect on children's school readiness. Limited vocabulary knowledge at 24 and 48 months is uniquely predictive of later school readiness. Young children with low vocabularies require additional supports prior to school entry.

Mothers’ health-related quality of life: Its relationship with children’s health-related quality of life and behavior in low-income families

Objective To examine the association between mothers’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and their children’s HRQOL and behavior in low-income families. Methods Mothers of 278 children aged 6–12 years from low-income families were invited to complete the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF50) and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for their children as well as the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). Multiple linear regressions with mother–child pairs as the unit of analysis were performed to examine the associations between maternal and child variables with adjustment of mother- and child-level confounders. Results Compared with the general population, low-income mothers had a lower mean SF-12v2 mental component summary score and their children also had lower mean CHQ-PF50 physical and psychosocial summary scores and SDQ total difficulties score. Children of mothers with SF-12v2 scores below the population mean of 50 had significantly worse CHQ-PF50 scores and higher SDQ total difficulties scores. The mother’s PHQ-2 depression status had no association with the child’s CHQ-PF50 scores. Conclusion Our findings suggest that more attention should be paid to reducing the negative impact of health problems on mothers’ daily roles in childcare in low-income families.

Family child care home providers as role models for children: Cause for concern?

Health behaviors associated with chronic disease, particularly healthy eating and regular physical activity, are important role modeling opportunities for individuals working in child care programs. Prior studies have not explored these risk factors in family child care home (FCCH) providers which care for vulnerable and at-risk populations. To address this gap, we describe the socio-demographic and health risk behavior profiles in a sample of providers (n = 166 FCCH) taken from baseline data of an ongoing cluster-randomized controlled intervention (2011–2016) in North Carolina. Data were collected during on-site visits where providers completed self-administered questionnaires (socio-demographics, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, number of hours of sleep per night and perceived stress) and had their height and weight measured. A risk score (range: 0–6; 0 no risk to 6 high risk) was calculated based on how many of the following were present: not having health insurance, being overweight/obese, not meeting physical activity, fruit and vegetable, and sleep recommendations, and having high stress. Mean and frequency distributions of participant and FCCH characteristics were calculated. Close to one third (29.3%) of providers reported not having health insurance. Almost all providers (89.8%) were overweight or obese with approximately half not meeting guidelines for physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and sleep. Over half reported a “high” stress score. The mean risk score was 3.39 (± 1.2), with close to half of the providers having a risk score of 4, 5 or 6 (45.7%). These results stress the need to promote the health of these important care providers.

Implementing Check-In/Check-Out Within Family Childcare Centers: An Intervention for Preschoolers With Attention Seeking Behaviors

Implementing Check-In/Check-Out Within Family Childcare Centers: An Intervention for Preschoolers With Attention Seeking Behaviors

Factors associated with time provided to children for physical activity in family child care: a cross-sectional study.

Childhood obesity has increased in the past 30 years, and physical inactivity is a major contributor. Factors related to physical activity promotion in the family child care context are understudied. A convenience sample of participants in a mid-sized city in the Midwestern U.S. was recruited through the local child care resource and referral agency and were invited through flyers and emails to take part in an online or paper survey. Survey results in a sample of 107 family child care providers indicate that many did not meet physical activity recommendations and are missing the opportunity to enable children’s physical activity via important practices and resources. Provider self-efficacy about being physically active, and indoor physical activity space positively associated with time provided for child physical activity. Health training is negatively associated with time provided for child physical activity. Practice implications include: (1) develop activities that promote physical activity in the tight confines of family child care homes and yard; (2) develop trainings that can influence the integration of suitable portable play equipment in the space constraints of family child care homes (3) Propose creative ideas for active free play even when in a shared space; (4) prioritize providing separate play areas by age group and strategize ways to do this in family child care contexts (for example, alternate access to spaces by age); (5) engage providers and children in joint activities that increase provider physical activity efficacy and physical activity time as well as that of children; (6) promote health and physical activity among family child care providers themselves.

Perceived effective and feasible strategies to promote healthy eating in young children: focus groups with parents, family child care providers and daycare assistants.

BackgroundThe aim of the current study is to identify strategies to promote healthy eating in young children that can be applied by caregivers, based on their own perceptions of effectiveness and feasibility. Whereas previous research mainly focused on parental influences on children’s eating behavior, the growing role of other caregivers in the upbringing of children can no longer be denied.MethodsFour focus groups were conducted with three types of caregivers of post-weaning children under 6 years old: parents (n = 14), family child care providers (n = 9), and daycare assistants (n = 10). The audiotaped focus group discussions were transcribed and imported into Nvivo 10.0 for thematic analysis. The behaviors put forward by the caregivers were categorized within three broad dimensions: global influences, general behaviors, and specific feeding practices.ResultsPerceived effective strategies to promote healthy eating behavior in children included rewards, verbal encouragement, a taste-rule, sensory sensations, involvement, variation, modeling, repeated exposure, and a peaceful atmosphere. Participants mainly disagreed on the perceived feasibility of each strategy, which largely depended on the characteristics of the caregiving setting (e.g. infrastructure, policy).ConclusionsBased on former research and the current results, an intervention to promote healthy eating behaviors in young children should be adapted to the caregiving setting or focus on specific feeding practices, since these involve simple behaviors that are not hindered by the limitations of the caregiving setting. Due to various misconceptions regarding health-promoting strategies, clear instructions about when and how to use these strategies are necessary.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3710-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Effects of Family's Child Care Experiences and Home Environments on Toddlers' Vocabulary Development in Families with Different Levels of Income

The Effects of Family's Child Care Experiences and Home Environments on Toddlers' Vocabulary Development in Families with Different Levels of Income

Supporting family child care and quality improvement: findings from an exploratory survey of Illinois child care resource and referral agency staff

Improved quality in home-based child care (family child care and family, friend, and neighbor care) is increasingly recognized as a vital component of early care and education service systems in the U.S. and abroad and is a target of recent federal and state policy initiatives in the U.S. This article presents data from a statewide survey of 73 child care resource and referral specialists across Illinois who work with family child care providers on a regular basis through home visiting, training, and technical assistance. Descriptive findings suggest that specialists who work with family child care providers perform a unique role in the early care and education field. The study examines job roles, common challenges and rewards, and needs for training. Specialists’ training needs include understanding the unique context of family child care, home visiting, coaching, and working with families. Understanding the training and professional development needs of support staff as well as the challenges faced in carrying out this work has the potential to inform state professional development systems as well as other initiatives aimed at improving quality in this sector of the early care and education workforce.

Improving the Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment Through Self-Assessment in Nebraska Family Childcare Homes

Improving the Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment Through Self-Assessment in Nebraska Family Childcare Homes

Providers’ response to child eating behaviors: A direct observation study

Child care providers play an important role in feeding young children, yet little is known about children’s influence on providers’ feeding practices. This qualitative study examines provider and child (18 months −4 years) feeding interactions. Trained data collectors observed 200 eating occasions in 48 family child care homes and recorded providers’ responses to children’s meal and snack time behaviors. Child behaviors initiating provider feeding practices were identified and practices were coded according to higher order constructs identified in a recent feeding practices content map. Analysis examined the most common feeding practices providers used to respond to each child behavior. Providers were predominately female (100%), African-American (75%), and obese (77%) and a third of children were overweight/obese (33%). Commonly observed child behaviors were: verbal and non-verbal refusals, verbal and non-verbal acceptance, being “all done”, attempts for praise/attention, and asking for seconds. Children’s acceptance of food elicited more autonomy supportive practices vs. coercive controlling. Requests for seconds was the most common behavior, resulting in coercive controlling practices (e.g., insisting child eat certain food or clean plate). Future interventions should train providers on responding to children’s behaviors and helping children become more aware of internal satiety and hunger cues.

Recruitment of Family Child Care Homes for an Obesity Prevention Intervention Study.

ObjectiveCritical to the success of any intervention study is successful recruitment. The aim of this paper was to examine the recruitment process of a randomized controlled trial evaluating an intervention conducted with family child care home providers. Specifically, the recruitment challenges, the efforts employed to address the challenges, and their impact on participant recruitment are discussed.MethodsThe study’s original recruitment protocol was employed during waves 1 and 2 (out of 5). However, recruitment tracking showed a failure to meet enrollment targets, particularly in wave 2. Low enrollment prompted an all-day retreat to discuss potential revisions and enhancements to recruitment strategies. Four strategies to enhance the recruitment protocol emerged from the retreat: improving recruitment materials to enhance communication, increasing engagement with community partners, addressing provider concerns about participation and study burden, and facilitating parent engagement.ResultsThe study successfully recruited 166 family child care home providers across the 5 waves. There was a significant impact on the recruitment of waves 3–5 versus waves 1–2 using the enhanced recruitment protocol. There was a dramatic increase in those who “consented” (43% vs. 60%, respectively) and a corresponding decrease in the percent of “interested and eligible” who then “failed to consent” (57% vs. 40%, respectively).ConclusionResults of these enhanced recruitment strategies demonstrate the many lessons learned about successful recruitment of a difficult-to-reach population, family child care homes; specifically, the importance of building relationships, communicating clearly, and identifying key motivators.

Psychosocial Influences Upon the Workforce and Professional Development Participation of Family Child Care Providers

Family child care is commonly used in the US by families, including by those receiving child care subsidies. Psychosocial influences upon the workforce and professional development participation of family child care providers (FCCPs) have implications for the investment of public dollars that aim to improve quality and stability of child care. We examined psychosocial influences upon workforce and professional development participation of FCCPs. We hypothesized lower levels of psychosocial stress and higher levels of peer support would be associated with less consideration of exit. We hypothesized that those providers embracing a greater sense of themselves as ECE professionals and reporting the support of professional peers would have greater participation in professional development. This study employed the use of administrative survey data in path modeling. Multivariate analyses of survey data indicated that psychosocial stress had a significant, positive association with consideration of exit. In contrast, perceived peer support had a significant, negative association with consideration of exit. A stronger sense of identity as an early care and education professional had a significant, positive association with professional development participation as measured by training hours completed in the past year. The support of professional peers was not observed to have a significant association with professional development participation. Results suggest the importance of considering psychosocial factors in planning workforce development and educational programs for FCCPs. This may include developing supports to help FCCPs cope with the psychosocial stress of care work, build professional identities, and connect with peer providers to promote stability and quality caregiving in the ECE workforce. We propose additional qualitative research aimed at understanding the context of FCC care as a mechanism for informing the development of these supports.

Preventing childhood obesity in early care and education settings: lessons from two intervention studies.

Obesity prevention in young children is a public health priority. In the USA, nearly 10% of children less than 5 years of age are obese, and most attend some form of out-of-home child care. While a number of interventions have been conducted in early care and education settings, few have targeted the youngest children in care or the less formal types of child care like family child care homes. Additionally, only two previous studies provided recommendations to help inform future interventions. This paper presents lessons learned from two distinct intervention studies in early care and education settings to help guide researchers and public health professionals interested in implementing and evaluating similar interventions. We highlight two studies: one targeting children ages 4 to 24 months in child care centres and the other intervening in children 18 months to 4 years in family child care homes. We include lessons from our pilot studies and the ongoing larger trials. To date, our experiences suggest that an intervention should have a firm basis in behaviour change theory; an advisory group should help evaluate intervention materials and plan for delivery; and realistic recruitment goals should recognize economic challenges of the business of child care. A flexible data collection approach and realistic sample size calculations are needed because of high rates of child (and sometimes facility) turnover. An intervention that is relatively easy to implement is more likely to appeal to a wide variety of early care and education providers. Interventions to prevent obesity in early care and education have the potential to reach large numbers of children. It is important to consider the unique features and similarities of centres and family child care homes and take advantage of lessons learned from current studies in order to develop effective, evidence-based interventions.