Child Care Centers Research Articles

메타버스와 영유아교육: 현직교사의 인식과 교육현장 적용 탐색

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of applying the metaverse in early childhood education and care, based on the results of the analysis of early childhood education and care teachers' perceptions and opinions about 'metaverse' and 'metaverse applied education.' To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted with 112 teachers working at kindergartens and childcare centers in Seoul and the Gyeonggi province. Among them, 8 were selected for interviews, and the results were analyzed. The analysis revealed the following: First, the level of awareness of the metaverse and metaverse application education among early childhood education and care teachers was generally low. However, for teachers in their 30s with 5-15 years of experience, it was relatively high compared to other groups. Second, the metaverse application education proposed by teachers was found to be related to the curriculum areas of 'Physical Exercise and Health,' 'Communication,' and 'Social Relations' in the 2019 revised Nuri Curriculum. Based on these results, discussions and implications were presented regarding the application of the metaverse in early childhood education and care.

DETERMINANTS OF SERVICE QUALITY FACTORS AND PARENT SATISFACTION IN CHILDCARE CENTRE


 
 
 
 This study delves into the intricate dynamics of Malaysian childcare centres, focusing specifically on the elements that contribute to service quality and, ultimately, parental satisfaction. The research seeks to understand the underlying connections and impacts of various factors on parent satisfaction, excluding the aspect of educational leadership. With potential adverse outcomes from poor service quality, such as suboptimal child development and parental stress, this study aims to identify the key factors that enhance service experiences in early childhood settings. Adopting a quantitative approach, the study utilizes a causal research design to explore the relationships between various service quality elements and parent satisfaction. A comprehensive survey method was employed, offering a cross- sectional snapshot of opinions from parents with children in Malaysian childcare services. The study's design ensures precision in testing hypotheses, with findings analysed using advanced statistical tools like SPSS and PLS-SEM. The hypothesis testing reveals interesting insights. It shows the rejection of certain assumed direct impacts of basic facilities, curriculum, and program structure on parent satisfaction. However, other factors emerged as significant in shaping parental perceptions. Notably, the study found that specific service quality factors, particularly in the domain of student interactions, play a crucial role in determining parent satisfaction. The research methodology included a pilot study in Kota Bahru, Kelantan, for preliminary validation of the survey instruments. Purposive sampling selected 318 parents from various childcare centres, ensuring a relevant and focused sample. The findings indicate that while some service quality aspects may not directly influence parent satisfaction, others are crucial. The study’s implications are significant for policy and practice in early childhood education, emphasizing the enhancement of specific service quality factors as a strategy to uplift parent satisfaction in Malaysian childcare centres. This research adds an important dimension to the understanding of service quality and parent satisfaction in the context of early childhood education.
 
 
 

보육놀이치료가 유아의 또래유능성과 정서지능에 미치는 효과

보육놀이치료가 유아의 또래유능성과 정서지능에 미치는 효과

보육과정 컨설팅을 통한 교사와 유아의 경험의 의미

The purpose of this research is to explore changes and progress observed in both teachers and children during customized childcare curriculum consulting sessions developed based implementation of self-examination. The research was carried out among 6 teachers of childcare centers. This research was conducted in conjunction with the childcare curriculum consulting project of “A” Childcare Support Center as part of the 4th Standardized Childcare Curriculum implementation. The following were collected: in-depth qualitative interviews, journals kept by research participants, pictures of playtime, video clips, and researcher notes. The collected materials were transcribed and coded with coded responses grouped based on themes as needed. The results were the followings. First, teachers observed with care when children were playing and supported children to find purpose and lead their play time. Second, children became more independent during their playtime and proactively created their own plays. The childcare curriculum consulting supported teachers to implement goals of play-centered and child centered childcare curriculum through implementation of selfexamination.

The dilemma of work-family balance for the dual-career couples with child/children: qualitative evidence from Bangladesh based on Family Systems Theory

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify and highlight the challenges faced by the dual-career couples with one or multiple child/children in maintaining their work–family balance based on family systems theory. Design/methodology/approach The author purposely selected 26 families (52 participants) in Bangladesh where both husbands and wives work on a full-time basis having one or multiple child/children. The author used focus group discussion (FGD) technique to identify the challenges encountered by them. Findings After summarising the FGD results, the study identified several challenges faced by those dual-career couples, such as inability to differentiate between professional and family lives, lack of quality time for partners/children, challenges to raise children, lack of childcare centres and lack of professionalism of care workers; and tension and anxiety for their child/children while at offices. Originality/value The author expects the results of this qualitative study to be conductive as groundwork for upcoming research studies concerning dual-career couples with child/children. The author also hopes that such results will assist the human resource managers in efficiently crafting and executing some policies regarding dual-career couples with one or multiple child/children.

Leading in times of uncertainty: Early childhood directors navigating the COVID-19 pandemic

Early childhood (EC) directors played a critical role in the successful operation of childcare centers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Directors were responsible for adhering to health and safety protocols and caring for the well-being of their staff, children, and families. Due to the need to remain open for other first responders’ families, Directors were challenged with fluctuating numbers of staff and children, and in other cases, they were tasked with transitioning their programs online to serve children. This study examines 10 US EC Directors’ perspectives and leadership experiences during the Pandemic. From interviews with the participants, themes emerged to illustrate how EC Directors utilized adaptive leadership skills and strengths-based leadership. Findings from this study are beneficial not only to understand how EC Directors led during the Pandemic, but also which skills, resources, and supports are necessary for future times of crises and challenging times. This article offers recommendations for researchers, policymakers, and other decision-makers on how best to support EC Directors in future times of uncertainty.

The impact of a health promotion program on toddlers’ socio-emotional development: a cluster randomized study

BackgroundThe first 3 years of life are a critical period for the development of socio-emotional skills, highlighting the importance of socio-emotional development in early childhood. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a health promotion intervention program on the socio-emotional development of children aged 12 to 42 months during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 344 children from 15 childcare centers participated in this study, with six centers in the intervention group and nine in the control group. Childcare teachers in the intervention group received a 6-month training program aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles, including topics such as diet, sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Sociodemographic and anthropometric measures were assessed at baseline, and socio-emotional development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Third Edition (Bayley-III) at baseline and post-intervention.ResultsAfter the intervention, a significant difference in socio-emotional development was observed between children with mothers of varying education levels. Specifically, children whose mothers had lower education levels demonstrated significantly greater socio-emotional development (B = 19.000, p = 0.028) compared to the control group. In contrast, there was no significant difference in socio-emotional development among children with mothers from higher education levels.ConclusionThese findings suggest that intervention programs for childcare teachers can effectively promote healthy socio-emotional development in children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Future intervention programs should consider tailoring their approaches to target disadvantaged populations.Trial registrationThis cluster randomized controlled trial was registered in the Clinical Trials database/platform on 09/09/2019 (number NCT04082247).

Professional Learning Supporting Multilingual Children’s Social and Emotional Development in Diverse Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

AbstractThis research examined the conditions under which codesigned approaches to educator professional learning in multilingual, birth to five settings were accessible and supportive of children’s social and emotional development across diverse types of Australian early childhood services. The research sites, in the suburbs of a capital city, comprised a long day childcare center, two short term informal community creches for birth to 5-year-old children of migrants and refugees attending English classes, and a family hub short term informal community creche for children of Afghan refugees. Professional learning mentors visited the participating sites eight times for 2 h every 2 weeks for 16 Weeks in 2021, demonstrating resources and strategies to assist young children to identify their own and others’ emotions and engage with social settings. Over 20 weeks, 97 participants provided data, commencing before and extending after the professional learning program. Participants included professional learning mentors, staff and volunteers, parents, and children via observation. Using Reggio Emilia principles, the research identified that professional learning, flexibly delivered over time, enabled educators and volunteers to build their social and emotional development knowledge, and to try resources and strategies with children in their care. Recruiting educators who shared children’s home or community languages, in addition to professional learning, supported multilingual children to engage with emotional literacy resources, while still developing spoken English. The research affirmed that educators, volunteers, parents, and children benefitted from a sustained focus on children’s social and emotional development in the early childhood education and care settings.

Validation of the French version of the classroom assessment scoring system infant and toddler in Quebec

<span lang="EN-US">The objective of this study is to validate the French version of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) infant and toddler, as employed to assess the quality of interactions in groups of children under 3 years old, in childcare centers in Quebec where French is the official language. Indeed, when using a different language version of a standard-based tool outside its original context, an important step is to verify that it remains reliable and valid for measuring the research construct. This validation study was conducted in Montreal area (Quebec, Canada). The subjects were 154 classrooms (46 infant, 108 toddler) located within a representative sample of 68 childcare centers. Live classroom observations were conducted in the fall 2018 with the CLASS and other measures of process quality. Results replicate the factor structures of the original versions of the CLASS tool and provide evidence for the good reliability (inter-rater reliability, internal consistency) and validity (criterion and construct) of the French versions. The discussion highlights cross-cultural differences in the classrooms, childcare centers, and regulations that could explain some differences obtained in this research and, therefore, needs to be considered when using the CLASS in French to have a reliable and valid tool to measure the quality of interactions.</span>

Clinical, immunological, and genetic description of a Mexican cohort of patients with DOCK8 deficiency.

We aimed to describe the clinical, immunological, and genetic features of patients with DOCK8 deficiency (DOCK8-Def) in a tertiary care center for children. Retrospective chart review of patients' clinical, immunological, and genetic characteristics with DOCK8-Def. Genetic analysis was performed with targeted- or whole-exome sequencing; we also assessed DOCK8 protein expression and a lymphoproliferation assay and analyzed survival by the Kaplan-Meier method. We described 11 patients from 8 unrelated kindreds. The median age at symptoms' onset was 10 months (range 1-54 months). The median follow-up time was 53.4 months (4.8-118.8). All patients presented eczema and recurrent sinopulmonary and cutaneous infections. Besides those symptoms, the most frequent manifestations were bronchiectases (8/11), food allergies (6/11), and severe infections (6/11). Infrequent characteristics were detection of CMV in bronchial lavage, C. parvum-driven sclerosing cholangitis, Takayasu vasculitis, neurological syndromes, pulmonary tuberculosis, and lymphomatoid granulomatosis. DOCK8-Def has a broad spectrum of manifestations, including allergy, autoimmunity, inflammation, infection, and cancer. The hallmark of this inborn error of immunity is IEI-associated eczema with eosinophilia and increased IgE. Here, we report six new mutations causing human DOCK8 deficiency and symptoms previously unrecognized to occur in DOCK8-Def. Therefore, an early diagnosis of DOCK8-Def is essential to facilitate an adequate treatment such as HSCT.

Impact of Biophilic Design on Supporting Metacognitive Thinking in Early Childhood in Childcare Centers

It is widely known how modern life from activities, games, and technologies has consumed children’s lives and attention, distracting them from the natural environment and its benefits. Moreover, although childcare centers are nowadays considered one of the primary environments where children spend most of their time, a child-nature connection is not much considered in their designs, giving more attention to technologies and artificial life. Environmental psychology theories declare that children are greatly affected by the surrounding physical environments, emphasizing nature as the richest environment that can feed their cognition and enhance their thinking skills, creativity, and development. A wealth of research studied the effect of nature-connected environments through biophilic design on children’s physical and psychological developmental aspects (226,975 articles since 2000). However, less concern is given to the cognitive development aspect (only 18.75% of the total), with a gap in terms of metacognition as a kind of high-order thinking. Metacognition enhances children's behavior and high-order thinking skills such as reflective thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the role of biophilic design in supporting metacognition in young children by conducting a multidisciplinary study that addresses the four theories Biophilic, Attention Restoration, Froebel’s theory, and Metacognition. The aim of this paper was achieved, firstly, by conducting a structured literature review in a multidisciplinary approach in Architectural, Environmental Psychology, Educational, and Cognitive Psychology fields using academic databases such as Elsevier, Scopus, Research Gate, and Academia. Secondly, analyzing the gathered data and the interrelations between the previously mentioned four selected theories. This paper’s findings show three conclusions; firstly, a restorative environment supports metacognition by stimulating reflective thinking and developing skills. Secondly, biophilic design’s attributes fulfill the factors for creating a restorative environment. Thirdly, specific metacognitive skills are supported by certain biophilic attributes. This paper revisits the design criteria for childcare centers providing a framework and a guideline abstracted from the biophilic approach for supporting children’s development and metacognition.

Prevalence and determinants of insufficient vitamin D status in young Canadian Inuit children from Nunavik.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has reached pandemic levels affecting over one billion people worldwide. However, limited data is available on the prevalence and determinants of vitamin D status of Canadian Indigenous children and no study has been reported in Inuit children from Nunavik. Aim: Therefore, using data collected between 2006 and 2010, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and main determinants of insufficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s25(OH)D) concentrations in Inuit children attending childcare centres in Nunavik. Methods: This study included 245 Inuit children aged 11 to 54 months. s25(OH)D concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Dietary intakes were assessed using 24-hour recalls. Usual dietary intakes were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. We used a multiple imputation technique to replace missing values when performing regression analysis. Results: Our findings revealed that 64.5% of children had a s25(OH)D concentration < 75 nmol/L, while 78.1% did not meet the estimated average requirement (EAR) for vitamin D. Vitamin D intake and fluid milk consumption were positively associated with s25(OH)D concentrations, while negative associations were observed with children' energy intake, non-alcoholic beverage consumption, body weight, breastfeeding duration and, biological/adoptive/foster parents' educational level. Conclusion: Vitamin D inadequacy was highly prevalent and closely aligned with levels observed over the years in non-Indigenous children. Breastfed children who do not receive vitamin D supplementation, overweight and obese children, and children with inadequate milk consumption were at high risk of vitamin D insufficiency. Eating vitamin D rich foods such as fluid milk and seafood along with vitamin D supplementation when needed are recommended.

Evaluation of state laws and regulations applicable to radon in US child care centers

In the US, radon is the second most significant contributor to lung cancer, following smoking. Despite this, there is a notable absence of state-level measures and guidelines aimed at managing and mitigating the risks associated with exposure to radon gas. The objective of this research was to investigate whether state-level laws regarding radon in child care centers have a correlation with the proportion of counties in a given state that fall under radon zone 1 (with levels exceeding 4 pCi/L).The research method was a secondary analysis. Data was gathered from multiple sources, including the EPA radon website, academic journals, official state government websites, and state laws and regulations. The evaluation of current radon legislation was based on the EPA radon zones. To analyze the data, an independent T-Test was conducted with a significance level of P&lt;0.05. The results showed that 39 states in the US have at least one county falling under radon zone 1, while 11 states have no counties in this category. Among these, 11 states have enacted legislation pertaining to child care centers, whereas 39 states lack any such regulations. Out of the 39 states that have one or more counties falling under radon zone 1, 28% (n=39) have implemented radon regulations specific to child care facilities. The study findings indicate that states situated entirely or partially within EPA radon zone 1 were 88% more likely to lack regulations mandating radon testing in child care centers, as compared to states not falling within this zone. However, while there is a noticeable association between state radon legislation for child care centers and the percentage of counties in radon zone 1, it is not statistically significant (p-value = 0.12).

La collaboration intersectorielle en soutien aux pratiques éducatives inclusives, qu’en pensent les milieux de garde ?

&lt;p&gt;Collaboration is considered to be a key element of inclusive early childhood practices. To ensure effective collaboration, it is important to provide facilitating conditions as teams often encounter many challenges. The purpose is to describe intersectoral collaborative experiences from the perspective of childcare centres. One hundred and fifty-four childcare educators and 94 supervisors responded to an online survey. The results show that collaboration with partners from institutions or organizations to support the inclusion of young children is perceived positively. Despite the challenges, it is seen as helpful, particularly in terms of joint intervention planning.&lt;/p&gt;

I-MovE. An intervention to promote movement at childcare centers: Benefits for motor cognitive and socio-emotional development.

The present contribution aimed to analyze the effects of a motor program intervention (i.e., I-MovE intervention) implemented indoors and outdoors at nursery school, on children's motor, socio-emotional, and cognitive skills. The study uses a non-randomized pre-post test design. Participants were children attending twenty nursery schools in the North of Italy. The intervention activities were adapted to age: Level 1 activities were addressed to children between 6 and 12 months, and Level 2 activities were addressed to children between 13 and 43 months. Within each level, one group of children developed the intervention indoors (IN-group; Level 1: n = 10; Level 2: n = 104) and another group developed the intervention outdoors (OUT-Group; Level 1: n = 12; Level 2: n = 66). Finally, one additional group was involved as the control group (CONT-Group; Level 1: n = 15; Level 2: n = 98). Children's motor, cognitive, and socio-emotional skills were assessed before and after the intervention by nursery school teachers. The main results showed that the motor intervention promoted children's motor skills development in both groups (i.e., groups implementing Levels 1 and 2 activities) and the cognitive and socio-emotional skills in the older group (i.e., group implementing Level 2 activities), especially the group that performed the intervention outdoors.

Tracking progress toward a climate-friendly public food service strategy: assessing nutritional quality and carbon footprint changes in childcare centers

BackgroundPublic food procurement and catering are recognized as important leverage points in promoting sustainable and healthy dietary habits. This study aimed to analyze changes in nutritional quality and carbon footprint (CF) of food service in childcare centers in the City of Copenhagen from 2018 to 2022, following a new climate-friendly food strategy in 2019. The strategy has a target of decreasing the CF of municipal food service by 25% before 2025 compared to a 2018 baseline.MethodsKey initiatives in the municipality’s strategy included creating guidelines for food-service providers to reduce their CF while ensuring meal nutritional quality and providing food professionals an advisory process to develop necessary competencies.In this quasi-experimental study, food procurement data from Copenhagen’s childcare centers (n = 356 [2022]) from 2018 and 2022 were combined with CF and nutrient composition data. Dietary CF and food and nutrient content were calculated per 10 MJ of energy and compared to guideline targets. Furthermore, data for 2022 were analyzed separately for institutions that had received an advisory process (n = 87) and those that had not yet (n = 269).ResultsOn average, the CF of the food procurement decreased by 15%, mainly driven by a decrease in ruminant meat purchases (-37%). While the procurement of plant-based protein sources (pulses, nuts, seeds) increased by 25%, it was still considerably below targets. Nutrient content did not substantially change, and recommendations for calcium, iron, vitamin D, sodium, and total and saturated fat were not met in either measurement year. Institutions that had received an advisory process had a 14% lower CF in 2022 than institutions that had not.ConclusionsWith the observed 15% CF reduction, Copenhagen’s childcare centers are on track to reach the 25% reduction goal outlined in the municipality’s food strategy by 2025. Nutritional quality was largely unchanged, but further efforts to increase especially the consumption of plant-based protein sources, while simultaneously reducing meat and animal-based fat, and maintaining sufficient dairy consumption, are needed to improve nutritional quality and reach the target CF reduction in the coming years. Providing training for food professionals could play an important role in seeing the changes through.

Perceived barriers and facilitators of childcare providers’ physical activity: A mixed-methods study

Background: Childcare providers’ work demands have been associated with high rates of stress and health conditions. Physical activity (PA) may help to alleviate some of these issues, yet few studies have explored this topic. The purpose of the study was to assess childcare providers’ PA levels and to explore their perceived barriers and facilitators to PA. Methods: This was a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation study with childcare providers ( n = 27) from both family childcare homes and childcare centres from urban ( n = 14) and rural ( n = 13) areas. Accelerometers and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) measured the amount of PA (leisure, transport-related, occupational), and a semi-structured interview explored barriers and facilitators to PA. Descriptive statistics were calculated for PA data. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: For accelerometer data, on average per day, childcare providers accumulated 199.5 ± 62.5 minutes of light activity, 125.9 ± 68.1 minutes of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and 666.3 ± 23.7 minutes of sedentary time. For GPAQ data, childcare providers reported 114.5 ± 48.4 minutes/day of MVPA and 295.6 ± 141.4 minutes/day of sedentary time. Common barriers included time constraints and health issues, while common facilitators included knowledge of PA health benefits and family/peer support. Conclusion: The study suggests an estimated 92% of childcare providers met the US national PA guidelines of 150 minutes of MVPA per week. However, they exhibited prolonged periods of sedentary behaviour (~11 hours). Programmes and interventions could address barriers to PA such as providing short movement breaks to decrease sedentary time and improve childcare providers’ health.

Impact evaluation of a maternal and child cash transfer intervention, integrated with nutrition, early childhood development, and agriculture messaging (MAZIKO-IE): a study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial

BackgroundChildren in Malawi face high rates of malnutrition and are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential. Community-based childcare centres (CBCCs) can be cost-effective platforms for scaling-up early childhood development (ECD) and nutrition social behaviour change (SBC) interventions. However, evidence also suggests potential synergies from coupling nutrition SBC with cash transfers (CT), given that rural households in Malawi face high levels of poverty and recurring extreme lean season food-security shocks. The Maziko trial is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using CBCCs and parenting care groups as platforms to improve maternal diets and child nutrition and development by providing nutrition-sensitive SBC and CT intervention packages in communities already receiving a standard of care Government SBC program.MethodsWe designed a 3-year cluster-randomised controlled trial in two districts of Malawi, including 156 communities randomised to one of four treatment arms: (1) standard of care (SoC) arm: receiving the standard Government SBC program; (2) SBC arm: receiving the SoC intervention with additional nutrition-sensitive SBC activities to improve nutritious food production, diets, and care practices for young children; (3) low CT arm: SoC plus SBC plus a maternal and child cash transfer ~ 17 USD per month; and (4) high CT arm: SoC plus SBC plus a maternal and child CT ~ 43 USD per month. The trial will enrol pregnant women and children < 2 years of age. The primary outcomes are maternal diet assessed using the mean probability of adequacy and child development assessed using the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool. Intermediate outcomes along the programme impact pathways will also be measured, including maternal mental health, maternal empowerment, child feeding practices, and child nutritional status.DiscussionThis is the first study to examine the impact and synergies of combining ECD SBC with nutrition-sensitive SBC and CTs on maternal and child outcomes during the first 1000 days. The findings from this evaluation will inform national ECD and nutrition programmes.Trial registrationISRCTN ISRCTN53055824. Registered on 7 March 2022.

An Exploration and Description of the Impact of COVID-19 on Women's Employment in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the issue of gender inequality in the labour market in relation to greater risks of unemployment and financial vulnerability. The shift to remote work altered responsibilities for domestic labour among partnered couples and single parents, as did the impact of closed schools, child care centres, and more. Disruptions to economic and social arrangements of South African women were no different than what other women in similar situations experienced in other countries. This study sought to explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, with respect to employment, work-life balance and family responsibilities. A qualitative study within a constructivist paradigm, with a multisite, instrumental case study design was used. Data were collected from participants using both a survey questionnaire and a structured interview. A sample size of 172 was sought for the questionnaire and 26 qualitative interviews were conducted guided by data saturation. Quantitative questionnaire data were analysed using SPSS (version 27) for descriptive and inferential statistics. Thematic analysis of the qualitative interviews was done using NVIVO for coding and categorising. Black women, particularly from the informal sector, were found to be more adversely affected than those in formal employment by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to understanding the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on women’s employment, work-life balance and family responsibilities.

Child care participation among Indigenous children in Canada

The release of a Canadian Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework highlights the importance of recent, Indigenous-specific information to describe the landscape of child care among Indigenous children in Canada; however, there has been a gap in identity-specific, national data on child care for Indigenous children. The purpose of the current study was to address data gaps on participation in child care for First Nations children living off reserve, Métis, and Inuit children. Furthermore, two years of data are examined which provide information on child care use both prior to and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, First Nations children living off reserve (49%) and Inuit children (42E %)1 were significantly less likely to participate in child care compared with non-Indigenous children (60%), although Métis children (60%) were equally likely to participate in child care compared with non-Indigenous children. Only First Nations children living off reserve (40%) were significantly less likely than non-Indigenous children (53%) to participate in child care in 2020. In terms of the type of child care used, Inuit children were more likely to be in a daycare centre (70%) compared with non-Indigenous children (52%) in 2019, although Inuit children’s participation in a daycare centre dropped to 46E% in 2020. This is likely due to public health restrictions which closed many child care centres during the pandemic, as over one-third of child care in the territories is centre-based. The findings provide important information about patterns of child care use for Indigenous children both before and during the pandemic.