Childcare Sector Research Articles

Evaluating Outdoor Nature-Based Early Learning and Childcare Provision for Children Aged 3 Years: Protocol of a Feasibility and Pilot Quasi-Experimental Design.

Systematic reviews have demonstrated the scarcity of well-designed evaluations investigating outdoor nature-based play and learning provision for children in the early learning and childcare (ELC) sector among global Western countries. This study will examine the feasibility and acceptability of the programme and the evaluation design of outdoor nature-based play and learning provision across urban ELC settings in a Scottish metropolitan city. Six ELC settings with different outdoor nature-based play delivery models will be recruited. One trial design will be tested: a quasi-experimental comparison of children attending three different models of outdoor play and learning provision. Measures will be assessed at baseline and five weeks later. Key feasibility questions include: recruitment and retention of ELC settings and children; suitability of statistical matching based on propensity score; completeness of outcome measures. Process evaluation will assess the acceptability of trial design methods and provision of outdoor nature-based play among ELC educators. These questions will be assessed against pre-defined progression criteria. This feasibility study will inform a powered effectiveness evaluation and support policy making and service delivery in the Scottish ELC sector.

RESPONSE TO DAVID BLAU'S ESSAY

RESPONSE TO DAVID BLAU'S ESSAY

Impact of foreign domestic workers on the fertility decision of households: evidence from Hong Kong

AbstractA potential solution to low fertility is the employment of foreign domestic workers (FDWs), who substitute child-rearing and housework duties, thus reducing child-rearing costs. Recent studies argue that the flow of low-skilled foreign workers into the childcare sector influences fertility choice. However, these studies mainly use the availability of FDWs in the local area as the causal inference and focus on Western countries, making it difficult to identify individual direct effects or generalize the findings to other countries. To bridge this research gap and examine the impacts, this study uses household data from the Hong Kong census. Employing ordinary least squares, the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment, and the instrumental variable approach, we find that households that employ live-in FDWs give birth to more children. Moreover, the heterogeneous analysis reveals that women's greater proportional contribution to household income has a positive impact on households' fertility response after employing the FDWs.

Value of integrated mandatory national surveillance data and literature reviews to inform public health policy in the child care sector

Abstract Background Epidemiological properties of children have been a matter of debate during the entire duration of the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic. To inform public health policy two instruments were used that stemmed from mandatory national surveillance data as well as continuous, up-to-date literature screening. We report how these two instruments complemented each other in the first/second (before the advent of the VOC Alpha (B.1.1.7)) and the 3rd wave (dominated by VOC Alpha (B.1.1.7)) in Germany. Methods We monitored and analysed continuously data reported from local health departments via state health departments to the Robert Koch Institute. In addition, we reviewed peer-reviewed, pre-prints and grey literature on key epidemiological parameters in children, such as susceptibility, infectiousness and viral load. Results After the 1st wave in March-May 2020 the 2nd wave started in early autumn and lasted until the first weeks in 2021. The proportion of cases among 0-5 year old children stayed mostly below the corresponding population proportion, and was always lower than that of older age groups. Reported outbreaks in child care centres were small (median 4 cases). Primary cases were mainly adults. Among the cases reported from child care centre outbreaks the proportion of 0-5 year old children was only 35%. Information from the literature indicated lower susceptibility of children, lower viral load, but provided equivocal information about infectiousness. In the 3rd, B.1.1.7-dominated wave the number of outbreaks increased rapidly and exceeded the highest number in the 2nd wave. In addition, the proportion of 0-5 year old children involved in the outbreaks increased to 45%. Conclusions During the 1st and 2nd wave susceptibility and likely also infectiousness of 0-5 year old children was limited allowing broad opening of child care centres. In contrast, in the 3rd wave affectedness of children increased leading to recommendations to scale-up prevention efforts in child care centres.

Does quality matter in determining child care prices? Evidence from private child care provision in Turkey

Child care prices are expected to reflect the quality of provision. However, in contexts where there are high information asymmetries between the users of the services and providers, we may expect this link between quality and prices to be weaker. Turkey is selected for the study as it has a highly regulated child care sector where the costs of accreditation and initial setup are high. However, there is very little on-going supervision and no information provided to users on the quality or ranking of these services. This paper investigates the role of quality in determining private child care prices using a unique provider-level data set collected in five provinces of Turkey. Regression results show that prices are mainly driven by infrastructure quality while human resources and curriculum and materials quality scores that are more likely to have a strong bearing on child development do not have a significant impact on prices.

Ontario as a case study for modernizing Home Child Care licensing and support

AbstractIn this study we demonstrate why oversight and monitoring of the home child care (HCC) sector deserves more scrutiny and policy attention in Canada. Focusing on Ontario as a key case given its population and particular licensing model, we propose a model of licensing which would bring HCC in line with requirements in child care centres and ensure all HCC providers are licensed and monitored. Recognizing that licensing alone does not guarantee quality child care, we propose a system of program supports to accompany licensing. Finally, we estimate the costs associated with implementing our proposal and demonstrate that on a per provider/child basis our model is much more cost effective and equitable than the current system.

How have after-school clubs adapted in the United Kingdom post-March lockdown?

After-school clubs have provided an important childcare service for parents and carers where children are provided with an environment to play once the school day has finished. When the United Kingdom went into lockdown in March 2020, all children’s services closed that included the childcare provision of after-school clubs. When they re-opened in between July and September 2020, changes had to be implemented to meet Government restrictions. This study from 54 respondents working in the childcare sector identified changes within four themes: maintain service; bubbles; play space and play behaviour. This has resulted in an increase hygiene measures, staffing and amount of space for individual children, however, there is a decreased in the number of children attending, the resources and activities on offer and movement within the place space. Although after-school childcare is still being offered, there is financial concern on their viability and sustainability as parental demand may drop which has implications in providing a unique environment where children of different ages and abilities mix.

Professional standards for after school hours care in Australia

Abstract The Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) sector is the fastest growing child care sector in Australia. It is staffed by a workforce that is an eclectic mixture of disciplines. In policy and public perception the workforce has been often linked inappropriately to the workforce of very young children. Queensland Children’s Activities Network (QCAN) developed a set of professional standards (The Standards) for educators working in OSHC. The Standards reflect and build on national and international evidence that an educator’s effectiveness has a powerful impact on children’s development and wellbeing. The Standards were introduced to the OSHC sector with a professional development program. A five level model of evaluation (Guskey, 2016) is being used to provide a systemic evaluation of the professional learning associated with the Standards. This paper discusses some of the findings associated with the levels one and two of the evaluation.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Australian Trainee Childcare Educators Regarding Their Role in the Feeding Behaviours of Young Children.

Background: Early childhood (2–5 years) is acknowledged as a critical time for the establishment of healthy behaviours. The increasing number of children and amount of time spent in childcare provides strong rationale to explore the important role that childcare services and childcare educators play in influencing healthy eating behaviours of young children in their care. Methods: This study used a qualitative exploratory approach to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Australian childcare trainee educators’ regarding their role in the feeding of young children. Results: All participants agreed that feeding of young children was an important part of their role, but described challenges to the promotion of healthy eating and the adoption of responsive child feeding practices. These included personal beliefs and experiences with food, the bi-directional nature of child feeding, conflicting parental requests and/or unsupportive centre-based policies and procedures. Conclusion: Training about responsive child feeding practices within the childcare sector should include all childcare staff; aim to enhance relational efficacy and communication skills with parents; and empower childcare staff to lead organisational change. To support this, childcare centres need to provide coherent centre-based healthy eating policies inclusive of healthy food provision and desirable feeding practices.

Childcare Worker’s Understanding of the Play Cycle Theory: Can a Focus on “Process not Product” Contribute to Quality Childcare Experiences?

ABSTRACT Background: Since the 1990s there has been an exponential growth in childcare provision in the UK, particularly for school-aged children. There has also been a growing interest in the conceptualisation and measurement of quality of childcare and the professionalisation of the childcare workforce. Previous studies have found that one of the most important areas of quality from a children’s perspective is the provision of play and the adult role in supporting play within childcare settings. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate childcare workers understanding of the Play Cycle theory. Method: Childcare workers were invited to take part in an on-line survey to find out how they were introduced to the Play Cycle, how they would define the six elements (metalude, play cue; play return; play frame; loop and flow and annihilation), the adult role in the Play Cycle and if it has had any impact on childcare practice. Results: Childcare worker’s introduction to the Play Cycle is mostly through a childcare qualification. There was a significant relationship between childcare practitioners not having an understanding of two elements of the Play Cycle, the metalude and the play frame. There was a significant relationship between childcare managers and development officers understanding of the metalude to variation 1 and the play frame to variation 2. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the Play Cycle can help childcare workers support children’s play. This has potential implications for children’s perception of the quality of their childcare settings. Recommendation: There is a need for the theory of the Play Cycle to be more widely understood within the childcare sector.

Implementation of continuous free play schedules in Australian childcare services: A cross‐sectional study

Modifying the scheduling of physical activity opportunities to provide children with more frequent opportunities for outdoor free play has been demonstrated to increase child physical activity while in care. The primary aim of this study was to describe the implementation of continuous free play schedules to allow children to access outdoor play areas, consistent with sector guidelines in a national sample of Australian childcare services. Secondary aims were to investigate the associations between the implementation of such schedules and service characteristics, and assess the perceived barriers and enablers to implementation. A cross-sectional study was undertaken with a random sample of 326 centre-based childcare services located across Australia. Childcare service characteristics, continuous free play scheduling and perceived barriers and enablers to implementation were assessed via a survey administered to service managers online or via telephone. A total of 203 service managers (62%) reported implementing a continuous free play schedule, for three periods of 126minutes per period, each day on average. Service type (long day care services), size (services with higher numbers of child enrolments [≥80 children]) and socio-economic area (services located in lower socio-economic areas) were associated with the implementation of a continuous free play schedule. The most prevalent barriers to implementation included insufficient staff to ensure adequate supervision of children (69%) and service layout being unsuitable (65%), while the most prevalent enablers included advice on how to overcome staffing or supervision issues (89%) and to re-orientate the service layout (54%). There is scope to support the implementation of continuous free play schedules consistent with childcare sector guidelines. SO WHAT?: Future intervention research that targets the reported barriers and enablers to implementation is needed.

The effects of perceived supervisor incivility on child-care workers’ job performance: The mediating role of emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation

In this study, the authors examined how perceived supervisor incivility negatively affected the performance of child-care workers, focusing on emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation as underlying mediators. Data were collected from 321 child-care workers at 43 daycare centers in South Korea. A two-stage mediation model using multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) indicated that emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation fully and sequentially mediated the relationship. Perceived supervisor incivility emotionally exhausted child-care workers, decreased their intrinsic motivation, and reduced their overall performance. The findings highlight the need to manage workplace incivility in the child care sector. Finally, implications for organizational practice and interventions were discussed.

Re-Thinking Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC) as a Preventive Service: Examining Developments in the US and England

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to examine similarities and differences in recent English and U.S. initiatives which impact the residential child care sector. The English section summarizes the catalysts for and findings of recent enquiries, and presents a skeletal outline of one particular innovative program from North Yorkshire (an English public child welfare agency) – No Wrong Door (NWD) (Lusheyet al., 2017; Rees et al., 2017) which has attracted a good deal of attention nationally and internationally from government and voluntary service bodies searching for a way forward to locate a renewed residential care component in an overall service array. The U.S. section summarizes the import of recent federal legislation, the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) (Kelly, 2018) and a key state initiative Residentially-Based Services (RBS) (McDowellet. al., 2014) in California which shares many of the goals of the federal initiative and is already underway in key agencies undertaking program re-design efforts across the state. The final section of the paper summarizes key take-away messages and highlights implications for future cross-national collaboration in policy and program development, as well as research.

Implementation of a professional development program to improve sleep health within the childcare sector

Implementation of a professional development program to improve sleep health within the childcare sector

Physical activity and sedentary behavior legislation in Canadian childcare facilities: an update

BackgroundWithin the childcare sector, physical activity and sedentary behaviors are not legislated at a national level in Canada. Efforts have been undertaken to identify factors within childcare facilities which support and deter physical activity and sedentary behaviors. The purpose of this paper was to provide an amended review of the legislative landscape, at the provincial and territorial level, regarding physical activity and sedentary behaviors (via screen-viewing) in Canadian childcare centers.MethodsIndividual childcare acts and regulations for each province and territory were collected; documents were reviewed with a focus on sections devoted to child health, physical activity, screen time, play, and outdoor time. An extraction table was used to facilitate systematic data retrieval and comparisons across provinces and territories.ResultsOf the 13 provinces and territories, 8 (62%) have updated their childcare regulations in the past 5 years. All provinces provide general recommendations to afford gross motor movement; but the majority give no specific requirements for how much or at what intensity. Only 3 provinces (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Nova Scotia) explicitly mentioned daily physical activity while all provinces’ and territories’ required daily outdoor play. Only 1 province (New Brunswick) made mention of screen-viewing.ConclusionsThe variability in childcare regulations results in different physical activity requirements across the country. By providing high-level targets for physical activity recommendations, by way of provincial/territorial legislation, staff would have a baseline from which to begin supporting more active behaviors among the children in their care. Future research is needed to support translating physical activity policies into improved activity levels among young children in childcare and the role of screen-viewing in these venues.

Community Unionism without the Community? Lessons from Labor-Community Coalitions in the Canadian Child Care Sector

The theory and practice of community unionism has been central to discussions of alt-labor, union renewal, and revitalization, particularly in relation to union praxis at the urban or local scale. This comparative case study explores two labor-community campaigns to defend public child care services in the context of neoliberal austerity in urban/suburban space. While labor-community coalitions are a necessary—if not sufficient—condition for success, in urban/suburban contexts in which community allies are weak and municipal administrations hostile, public-sector unions must continue to play a leading role in campaigns despite the risk of being cast as defenders of sectional interests rather than of the public good. In such contexts, union involvement in community organizing is a necessary precursor to successful labor-community campaigns.

Risk perception, regulation, and unlicensed child care: lessons from Ontario, Canada

In 2014, the Province of Ontario, Canada undertook a number of legislative changes regarding child care. Part way through the process, a series of tragic focusing events occurred: a number of infants and children died in unlicensed child care over a short period of time. Despite these events, the Province chose to allow a portion of the family child care (FCC) sector to remain unlicensed and essentially unregulated in a sector that is otherwise subject to strict licensing and regulation. Drawing on research on risk regulation, we analyse FCC regulation in comparison to other sectors and find that FCC is surprisingly under-regulated, given the health and safety risks. Legislative debate analysis reveals a number of rationales for non-regulation. In addition to pragmatic political concerns such as costs associated with licensing, analysis reveals concerns about choice and accessibility over quality and safety. We conclude with a call for a research agenda to further examine parents’ and policy-makers’ perceptions of risk.

The Effects of Immigration on Household Services, Labour Supply and Fertility

AbstractFertility and female labour force participation are no longer negatively correlated in developed countries. At the same time, increased immigration affects supply and prices of household services, which are relevant to fertility and employment decisions. This paper analyses the effect of immigration on labour supply and fertility of native women in the UK. Adopting an instrumental variable approach, I find that immigration increases female labour supply without affecting fertility. My results show that immigration increases the size of the childcare sector, and reduces its prices, suggesting that immigrants may ease the trade‐off between working and child rearing among native women.

Social Pedagogy: Developing and Maintaining Multi-Disciplinary Relationships in Residential Child Care

The task of building and maintaining effective multi-disciplinary relationships is a constant challenge for the residential child care sector in Scotland. The absence of effective multi-disciplinary collaboration has been cited regularly as a contributing factor to instances of poor and problematic practice. Social pedagogy has much to offer in terms of enabling the residential child care sector to address some of these issues and assist with the task of establishing effective multi-disciplinary relationships. This article will explore how this can be achieved in practice, drawing on research based on multi-disciplinary social pedagogy training delivered in Scotland. The evidence demonstrates that social pedagogy can begin to break down the very real barriers that often prevent residential child care practitioners from developing and maintaining multi-disciplinary relationships. It can assist with the task of developing a shared language and understanding; the creation of a clear focus on the developmental needs of children and young people; and a more nuanced approach to dealing with issues of risk. The messages from this article will hold relevance for the professions of residential child care, health and education and be applicable to practitioners throughout Europe and beyond.

Managing the Impacts of Full-Day Kindergarten on Rural Child Care Centres in Ontario

<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>Evidence suggests that the introduction of full-day kindergarten (FDK) in Ontario poses challenges to the child care sector; however, there is a dearth of information on the unique struggles faced by the rural child care sector as a result of the implementation of FDK. Furthermore, little is known about survival strategies adopted by rural child care centres. Telephone interviews with seven consolidated municipal service managers (CMSMs), who are responsible for service planning and support, revealed the actions taken to aid rural communities. Telephone interviews with nine rural child care centre directors/operators highlighted their strategies for managing the challenges presented by FDK and revealed the most pressing problems facing the rural child care sector. </span></p></div></div></div></div>