Day Care Providers Research Articles

The Impact of Motherhood on the Career Development of Female Journalists in Nigeria

Journalism has been described as a very demanding job, and this demand is heightened when marriage and motherhood are put into context. This is because the Nigerian culture has placed the burden of home and childcare majorly at the feet of women, making it very difficult to break the glass ceiling for women journalists working in the Nigerian news media. This study sought to investigate the impact of motherhood on the career progression of female journalists working in Nigerian newsrooms. The online survey research method was employed to sample 112 female journalists, who are mothers, working in Nigerian newsrooms. It was found that the majority of female journalists have more than one child and took maternity leave for up to 3 months but have declined numerous opportunities as a result of childcare responsibilities. The challenges experienced by respondents include inability to find affordable childcare services, frustration and burnout, declined access to opportunities and training, absence of flexible work options and slow career progression. The study recommends that media owners should support female journalists with children by creating space for crèche/day-care with an experienced day-care service provider so that nursing mothers can be able to access their children promptly. Employers can increase the salaries of workers such that their monthly wage is not affected as a result of childcare services. Furthermore, to foster an environment where women can thrive in their media careers, organisations must critically review existing policies and structures that disadvantage women

A randomized trial of the Caregiver Interaction Profile (CIP) training with childcare providers: the Copenhagen Daycare Project study protocol

BackgroundMost young children (0–3 years) attend formal childcare in Denmark, many of them fulltime. Yet recent reports of the quality of Danish childcare centers have shown that in more than one-third of nurseries, the interactions between caregivers and young children (0–3 years) are of “insufficient” quality, which constitutes a risk for affected children’s well-being and development. Effective interventions to improve childcare providers’ interactive skills are necessary.MethodsIn this randomized controlled trial, we test the effectiveness of the Caregiver Interaction Profile training, which focuses on improving six core interactive skills: sensitive responsiveness, respecting children’s autonomy, structuring and limit setting, verbal communication, developmental stimulation, and fostering positive peer interactions. We will recruit N = 200 childcare providers from nursery groups in Copenhagen (n = 100 training group, n = 100 waiting-list control group). Our primary outcomes are childcare providers’ six interactive skills named above, observed from video-recorded interactions in the nursery groups. The secondary goal of our study is to test whether the training boosts children’s social-emotional and linguistic development. To this end we aim to recruit N ≈ 500 children from participating childcare providers’ nursery groups (n ≈ 250 training group, n ≈ 250 waiting-list control group). We measure social-emotional and linguistic development with various standardized questionnaires, filled out by parents and childcare providers.DiscussionIf the training is effective at improving childcare providers’ interactive skills, then this will be an important foundation for implementation efforts, such as offering the training as part of the educational program of childcare providers. Future research should also evaluate whether the Caregiver Interaction Profile training is effective for childcare providers of older children (3–5 years) in Danish kindergartens.Trial registrationThis trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as “Testing the Effects of the Caregiver Interaction Profile Training on the Interactive Skills of Daycare Providers (CDP)” with registry ID NCT05654116. Registration date: 12/01/2022.

Citizens’ choice of daycare provider: A conjoint experiment

In modern welfare states, citizens’ choice of service providers is consequential for both service quality and the design of public services. Politicians and other central decision makers have a substantial interest in understanding how different factors affect citizens’ choice of service and how citizens make trade-offs between these factors. Using a conjoint experiment on a representative sample of Danish citizens, we study the importance of different organizational factors in the choice of daycare provider. Our results show that all included factors have meaningful effects on the propensity to choose a given provider. However, information about public vs. private ownership does not seem to have an impact on service choice. Additionally, we study whether having a high proportion of staff with pedagogical education can offset the negative impact of a poor staff to child ratio – this turns out not to be the case.

Environmental microbiome in the home and daycare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and potential risk of non-communicable disease in children.

An exposure to diverse microbial population early in life is important for the development of immunity against various non-communicable diseases including asthma, childhood leukaemia and other cancers. Social mixing in daycare settings helps with exposure to a variety of microbes. However, social isolation and a high emphasis on workplace hygiene during the COVID pandemic may have affected children's exposure to diverse microbiota. The structure of microbial communities and their role in developing immunity to various diseases are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the structure of microbial communities in daycare and home settings during the pandemic. Interestingly, microbial diversity was relatively higher in dust samples collected from homes, with human-associated taxa being more prevalent compared to those from daycare settings. Environmental microbes were more abundant in dust samples from daycare providers. These results potentially suggest that cleaning practices during the pandemic may have influenced the diversity and microbial abundance of the daycare samples. Several bacterial taxa detected in both the environments are known to induce anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory responses, conferring protection from various diseases. Therefore, exposure to diverse microbial population in early childhood may play an important role in developing immunity against various non-communicable and infectious diseases.

A machine learning approach to identifying non-parental caregivers' risk for harsh caregiving towards infants in daycare centers

BackgroundHarsh Caregiving behavior amongst daycare providers (i.e., non-parental Harsh Caregiving) negatively impacts children's development across a variety of domains. As prevalences of non-parental Harsh Caregiving appear to increase worldwide, identifying its predictors is crucial for screening and intervention. ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to identify a set of indicators and predictive rules that may accurately predict women's risk for Harsh Caregiving behavior in daycare environments. Participants and SettingThe study recruited 75 female non-parental caregivers, from the general population, who work with infants aged 0-1. Caregivers filled out self-report questionnaires including a Harsh Caregiving measure as well as a broad variety of potential predictors. MethodsTo elucidate combinations of input variables that are predictive of non-parental Harsh Caregiving, we used machine learning Decision Three Inference and CHAID algorithms. ResultsStudy results revealed a predictive model including 27 questions and four different prediction paths. For example, the first path indicated that women who reported low levels of attention deficit and hyperactivity problems and low levels of rigid-negative caregiving philosophies, had 100 % chance to report low levels of Harsh Caregiving behavior. Overall classification accuracy for "High Harsh Caregiving behavior" was 95.2 %. ConclusionsAfter replication in larger samples, the model can be used as a screening tool for women expressing their wish to work with infants. Women at risk can either be declined employment or alternatively receive targeted supervision throughout their work with small infants.

Perception of pacifier use among caregivers of infants 0-1 years of age.

American Academy of Pediatrics approves pacifier use for soothing and calming; it recommends delaying its use until breastfeeding is well established. Though pacifiers have protective effects against sudden infant death syndrome, prolonged use of a pacifier can lead to complications. American Academy of Family Physicians discourages the use by 6 months to 1 year of age. Pacifier use guidelines are not established primarily due to a paucity of information regarding initiation, termination, benefits, and harmful effects of pacifiers by parents. We aim to investigate pacifier use among caregivers of 0-1-year-old infants. It was a descriptive study of parents or caregivers of children 0-1 year of age who completed a questionnaire focused on pacifier use. Statistical analysis was calculated using SPSS version 23. One hundred thirty-three caregivers were interviewed. One hundred eighteen (88.7%) caregivers were mothers. Ninety-one (68.4%) of caregivers identified as Hispanic and 42 (30.1%) as African American. Caregivers reported that mean pacifier use was 16 months and 3.4 h/day. One hundred six (80%) reported the most common use of the pacifier alone was to calm the baby. For the weaning method, 37 (27.8%) stated that gradual decrease of pacifiers was useful whereas 33 (24.8%) stated that abrupt removal of pacifiers was effective. Seventy-two (54.1%) reported that their family and friends recommended pacifiers. Eleven (8.3%) caregivers reported that information about pacifiers was provided by medical and day-care providers. Pacifier use was not significantly related to the feeding method during the first 2 months of life. This study identifies impressions and common misconceptions of pacifier use which may assist in the development of comprehensive guidelines.

Maternal invalidation and child RSA reactivity to frustration interact to predict teacher-reported aggression among at-risk preschoolers.

Aggression is a transdiagnostic indicator of risk and represents one of the most common reasons children are referred for mental health treatment. Theory and research highlight the impact of maternal invalidation on child aggression and suggest that its influence may vary based on differences in child physiological reactivity. Moreover, the interaction between these risk factors may be particularly pronounced among children of mothers with emotion regulation (ER) difficulties. The current study examined the independent and interactive effects of maternal invalidation and child physiological reactivity to frustration on teacher-reported aggression in an at-risk sample of preschool children. Participants included 77 mothers (Mage = 33.17 years, s.d. = 4.83; 35% racial/ethnic minority) and their children (Mage = 42.48 months; s.d. = 3.78; 56% female; 47% racial/ethnic minority). Groups of mothers with and without clinician-rated ER difficulties reported on maternal invalidation, and child respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was assessed continuously during a frustration task as an indicator of physiological reactivity. Teachers or daycare providers reported on child aggression. Results demonstrated positive associations between maternal ER difficulties and both maternal invalidation and child RSA reactivity to frustration. As expected, the interaction between maternal invalidation and child RSA reactivity was significant, such that higher maternal invalidation and greater child RSA reactivity to frustration predicted more aggression in a daycare or preschool setting. Importantly, this effect was demonstrated while controlling for demographic covariates and baseline RSA. Findings are in line with diathesis-stress and biosocial models of risk and point to multiple targets for prevention and early intervention.

Usluge u zajednici za decu i mlade sa problemima u ponašanju i u sukobu sa zakonom - ideja i realizacija dnevnog boravka

The daycare service for children with behavioral problems is one of the services in social care that are based on an ecosystem approach and user participation, and that develop cooperation between all actors and systems in the community and pluralism of services. Ten years ago, there were several active day care centers for children and youth with behavioral problems (in Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Knjazevac, Pozarevac) that had clearly articulated work programs, while according to data for 2022, there are only two licensed ones in the Republic of Serbia provider of this daycare service (in Bor and Kragujevac). A survey was conducted among daycare service providers in both licensed daycare centers. Based on the respondents' answers, we can conclude that the daycare service has multiple positive effects on both users and their families, as well as on the local community. The existence of this type of service contributes to respecting the basic principles of social protection, respecting the recommendations of international instruments and implementing the provisions of domestic legislation. Day care provides opportunities to apply such methods aimed at supporting and empowering young people, gaining insight into the problem, correcting behavior and increasing personal responsibility. A special advantage is the formation of a more intensive relationship between the professional worker and the user as well as his family. Time commitment and a wide range of activities that can be realized in immediate work, but also in the community together with the user, give positive results. The results of the research indicate the importance of children and young people with behavioral problems remaining in the natural environment, that is, their families and communities with the aim of preventing institutionalization. The results of questionnaires and interviews with service providers, on the other hand, point to the need for further improvement of this service in the context of developing mechanisms for the sustainability of its quality and efficiency. Funding, availability and cross-sector networking continue to be a challenge in the implementation and functioning of day care. As one of the results of the research, the importance of adequate training of experts, the need for external supervision and the fight against prejudices that are common in smaller local communities emerges. The lack of this type of service as well as other incidental services of a preventive nature in the community increases the risk of continued antisocial behavior of this group of children and youth, stigmatization and institutionalization.

Aktive Organisationsentwicklung oder reaktive Organisationsgestaltung?!

This article from the journal Group. Interaction. Organisation. aims to identify structural changes and their determinants in early education organisations, in a next step, to show which challenges are associated with this for daycare providers. In addition, it will be shown how these changes take place and which areas of tension become apparent. The project TrEiKo is investigating these questions on the basis of a mixed-methods design. It shows that daycare providers are faced with a variety of implementation dilemmas, but that despite the many challenges, they are characterised by a comparatively low degree of active shaping and development control.

Counting to be Counted: Anganwadi Workers and Digital Infrastructures of Ambivalent Care

Data collection on the population is a key mode of public health management in the Global South. This information is seen as a means to improve health metrics through welfare programs. In this study, we examine the changes brought about by an ICT-based Real-Time Monitoring System to the infrastructure of a welfare program and the nature of work of Anganwadi workers in India. Anganwadi workers, traditionally serving as daycare providers and community health workers, are increasingly being asked to serve primarily as data collectors for the new digital system. We ask the question 'cui bono?' to this system by drawing attention to the precarity of Anganwadi workers whose care-work is standardized through this app for 'efficient' monitoring by the Indian state but remains contingent on their relationship with the local community and ability to mobilize resources on the ground. Using auto-ethnographic and interview methods, we find that Anganwadi workers are caught between conflicting demands of state bureaucracy and the situated nature of their care work resulting in forms of ambivalent care. We find that the real-time monitoring apps intended to collect data for efficient delivery of state services end up serving the state's need for performing care through data rhetorics produced at the expense of the professional and personal well-being of the workers, and arguably the communities they serve.

Child maltreatment reporting during the initial weeks of COVID-19 in the US: Findings from NCANDS

BackgroundAfter the national COVID-19 emergency declaration in the U.S. in March 2020, child welfare agencies observed large reductions in maltreatment reporting. ObjectiveTo quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child maltreatment reporting nationally to inform policy for future emergencies. Participants and settingAdministrative data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) for 48 states for federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2017 through 2020. MethodsAnalyses focused on reports to child protective services (CPS) between weeks 12 and 24 of calendar years 2017 through 2020 (mid-March through mid-June). Report sources of screened in and substantiated reports were compared with those during the prior year. Likelihood of a report being substantiated in 2020 compared with 2019 based on report source was calculated using odds ratios. ResultsIn 2020, CPS screened in 39 % fewer reports than during the same period in 2019 and the proportion of reports substantiated increased from 18 to 22 %. Reports from all report sources decreased, especially from education personnel (90 % decrease) and child daycare providers (65 % decrease). The odds for substantiation were significantly higher during 2020 than in 2019 for reports from all but three sources. ConclusionDuring the initial weeks following the national COVID-19 emergency declaration, the number of reports to CPS declined sharply at the national level and across all states, primarily in association with a large reduction in referrals from education sentinels. Explanations for the increase in percent of substantiation in the context of reduction of reports are considered.

Lived experiences of female academic staff in leadership positions at Haramaya University

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to explore lived experiences of women in academic leadership positions at Haramaya University. A transcendental phenomenological approach was used . A total of five academic female leaders were selected using purposive sampling technique. An in-depth interview was employed to collect data and analyzed using Moustakas (1994) modification of the Van Kaam method.The findings revealed that perfection is sought by female leaders while leading in a male-dominated workplace. The female academic leaders expressed how staff members feel about being led by a female leader, dividing them into two groups: the optimist and the gender-stereotyped group. The accommodation problem of the Day-care and the Model School of Haramaya University were expressed as sources of challenge for female leaders in balancing work and family life. Haramaya University’s system constraints and location disadvantage were expressed as organizational challenges. It is recommended that the University establishes a committee that assesses and revises the senate legislation and other regulations that stand against female leaders’ advancement and considers seriously the day-care service provision. In addition, women aspiring to assume leadership positions should receive training to bridge the gender gap and promote women in academic leadership positions.

The Effect of Pregnancy on Engagement with Politics. Toward a Model of the Political Consequences of the Earliest Stages of Parenthood

How do pregnancy and childbirth affect engagement in politics and society? Our data from a large-scale citizen panel record political engagement before, during, and after pregnancy for (future) mothers and fathers. We find that women demobilize from politics and societal issues during pregnancy. This disengagement is strongest for indicators of political participation and seeking of political news. Our analysis also shows that gender gaps in political engagement are not only strengthened but also partly created in the earliest stages of parenthood. Although the effects are relatively minor, they are robust to various analysis techniques. Some effects also last until the child grows older. Pregnancy and childbirth rarely lead to political mobilization, and when they do, they concern child-related activities, such as attempts to change daycare providers, but only at later stages of early parenthood.

Review: Choosing to Care: A Century of Childcare and Social Reform in San Diego, 1850–1950, by Kyle E. Ciani

Book Review| November 01 2021 Review: Choosing to Care: A Century of Childcare and Social Reform in San Diego, 1850–1950, by Kyle E. Ciani Kyle E. Ciani. Choosing to Care: A Century of Childcare and Social Reform in San Diego, 1850–1950. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2019. 342 pp. Hardcover $70.00. Moramay López-Alonso Moramay López-Alonso Moramay López-Alonso, associate professor of history at Rice University, is an economic historian of Latin America who earned her PhD at Stanford University. Her research focuses on the history of inequality. Her published works include Measuring Up: A History of Living Standards in Mexico, 1850–1950 (2012), winner of the 2013 Mexican History Book Prize awarded by the Conference on Latin American History. She is currently working on day-care provision in twentieth-century Mexico and its implications for working women's participation in political and economic life. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar California History (2021) 98 (4): 128–131. https://doi.org/10.1525/ch.2021.98.4.128 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Moramay López-Alonso; Review: Choosing to Care: A Century of Childcare and Social Reform in San Diego, 1850–1950, by Kyle E. Ciani. California History 1 November 2021; 98 (4): 128–131. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/ch.2021.98.4.128 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentCalifornia History Search This content is only available via PDF. © 2021 by The Regents of the University of California2021 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

In Their Own Words: Children's Perceptions of Caregiver Stress during COVID‐19

Research ObjectiveTo use text and chat transcripts from a national child helpline to examine how children perceive, identify, and describe caregiver stress during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic.Study DesignWe obtained 105 deidentified text and chat transcripts from March through June of 2020 from the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, which supports the needs of abused, neglected, and at‐risk children. The helpline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who serve families from all over the United States. Transcripts were analyzed with Atlas TI software using inductive, thematic analysis to identify how child helpline users: 1) perceived drivers of caregiver stress and 2) used words to describe manifestations of caregiver stress.Population StudiedText and chat transcripts were included if they originated from children under age 18 and one of the presenting issues included “COVID‐19,” labeled by a Childhelp counselor. The majority (86%) were from children ages 13 to 17.Principal FindingsChildren perceived multiple drivers of caregiver stress during COVID‐19, including intrapersonal (e.g. caregiver health concerns), interpersonal (parental discord, perceived dislike of child), and extrapersonal (financial insecurity, sheltering in place) stressors. Regardless of the driver, caregivers' stress was internalized by children (Table 1). Children were most likely to use the words “anger,” “control,” and “blame” to label manifestations of caregiver stress, and often cited examples of externalizing behaviors, including yelling, name calling, and blaming of others (Table 2).TABLE 1Examples of perceived drivers of caregiver stressDriverRepresentative QuoteFinancial insecurity“They say…I'm the [reason] they don't have enough money every week”COVID‐19 sheltering in place“…ever since quarantine…there have been more occurrences of him shouting and yelling at us at small things.”TABLE 2Examples of words children use to describe manifestations of caregiver stressDescriptorRepresentative Quote“Blowing up”“She sort of blew up screaming, slamming things, breaking things…”“Blaming me for everything”“She tells me that I am the reason she has lost friends, or that…her and my step dad got a divorce”ConclusionsIn text and chat inquiries to a national child helpline during the COVID‐19 pandemic, children identified, described, and internalized multiple drivers of caregiver stress, often feeling as though they were to blame. Providers serving children should address household stress spillover effects by directly acknowledging children's perceptions and concerns using their own words.Implications for Policy or PracticeChild helplines can help make child distress more “visible” during a time when mandatory reporters such as educational personnel and daycare providers have limited contact with at‐risk children. Texts and chats, which are accessible to school‐age children and offer privacy from nearby caregivers, are an important mechanism by which children in crisis can sound their own alarms. We illustrate the real‐time impacts of caregiver stress on children during the COVID‐19 pandemic, in which close proximity and heightened duress likely increase children's sensitivity and vulnerability to caregivers' variations in mood and behavior. Findings can inform policy efforts to expand access to supportive services and highlight the promise of text and chat modalities to address children's needs.

Privatization of Public Services: A Systematic Review of Quality Differences between Public and Private Daycare Providers

ABSTRACT While the past decades have witnessed a growing proportion of publicly funded services delivered by private providers, analyses of the consequences for service quality are scarce. Economic theories promote privatization in markets that are competitive and when service quality is relatively easy to define and monitor, however, quasi-markets for public services seldom fulfill these assumptions. This article extends previous research by presenting the findings of an international systematic review of cross-sectoral studies on quality differences between public, non-profit and for-profit providers of daycare services. We find no indication in the literature of higher quality with private providers; if anything, the evaluative evidence suggests that public providers tend to offer slightly higher service quality. We discuss how these insights contribute to theoretical and empirical debates about public and private delivery of services and consider lessons for practice.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Playwork Practice

ABSTRACT This study used a semi-structured approach interviewing 22 participants currently working in playwork. Participants were asked what they thought was the purpose of playwork and comment on their playwork practice because of the lockdown from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom (UK). Using thematic analysis, three purposes of playwork practice were identified: advocacy; compensatory and facilitation. In relation to their playwork, the lockdown resulted in playwork practice stopped and staff being furloughed. For others, playwork practice continued which was either non-face--to face by providing resources or there was a change of focus, for example providing online play sessions or working in a “hub” located in schools reflecting the three themes identified as the purpose of playwork. This study identified the adaptable and versatile nature of playwork that has enabled some form of playwork practice to still operate being facilitated more as a compensatory outreach provision, whether virtually or supplying or resources during the COVID-19 lockdown and the importance of maintaining relationships with the children and families in the communities where playwork provision so continuing to advocate the importance of play in children's lives. These qualities of playwork have a lot to offer once the restrictions have been lifted in both playwork-specific provision such as adventure playgrounds but also in other contexts where playwork practice is undertaken. This includes schools and could also include pre-school and daycare provision.

The Importance of Teacher’s Mental Health and Wellness for Quality Learning in Classrooms during COVID-19 Pandemic

The year 2020 started with the COVID-19 breakout, which brought our lives to a complete halt. For parents of school-aged children, the year 2020 served as a wake-up call. We have all seen life without in-person school and the teachers, day-care providers, after-school instructors, bus drivers, custodians, and other important staff members who keep schools going. Workforces rely on parent workers having a place to take their children as they work, and analysts reported that nearly 10% of economic activity will be lost before schools and day cares reopen last year. However, these reopening discussions often concentrate on the needs of students and parents, with little regard for the needs of educators. Teachers believe their work-life balance and mental health have deteriorated as a result of trying to fulfill unrealistic expectations, despite all the concern about how students and parents have adapted to COVID-19. This article emphasis the strategies for good mental health and also highlights some of the Teachers' Mental Health Tips for Juggling Life as well as Remote Teaching.

The effects of intervening with physical activity in the early years (ages 3-5) on health-related quality of life: a secondary analysis of the Activity Begins in Childhood (ABC) trial.

Limited research has measured the effect of physical activity (PA) interventions on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among pre-school-aged children. This study evaluates the effect of the Activity Begins in Childhood (ABC) cluster-randomized controlled trial designed to increase PA in the ages 3-5years on HRQoL. This was a cluster-randomized controlled trial where the intervention group included PA education delivered to daycare providers only, or daycare providers and parents. In the current study, the two PA intervention groups were combined. The comparator group received standard daycare curriculum (COM). A total of 215 children were included (PA n = 161, COM n = 54). Parents completed the proxy Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Generic Core Scale (PedsQL™ 4.0) to measure HRQoL at baseline and the end of the 6-month trial. HRQoL scores were analyzed as physical, psychosocial, and total domains. Baseline and 6-months measurements were compared for PA and COM groups, and mean changes in scores (95% confidence intervals) were measured using absolute values. No between-group differences were observed for the physical (p = 0.17), psychosocial (p = 0.95) or total scores (p = 0.20). Paired comparisons showed that only the PA group improved psychosocial- (PA mean difference = 2.18 (0.20, 4.15), p = 0.03; COM mean difference = 2.05 (-1.03, 5.13), p = 0.19) and total-HRQoL scores (PA mean difference = 2.83 (1.83, 3.84), p < 0.001; COM mean difference = 0.19 (-1.78, 2.16), p = 0.84) after 6months. Although the within-PA group analysis showed an improvement in psychosocial and total HRQoL scores from baseline, no between-group differences were observed in the HRQoL over time among children aged 3-5years.

Understanding Threats to Young Children's Green Space Access in Unlicensed Daycare Centers in Japan.

Access to green space (GS) is vital for children’s health and development, including during daycare. In Japan, deregulation to alleviate daycare shortages has created a new category of so-called unlicensed daycare centers (UDCs) that often lack dedicated GS. UDCs rely on surrounding GS, including parks, temples and university grounds, but reports of conflicts highlight the precarity of children’s well-being in a rapidly aging country. Knowledge about GS access in Japanese UDCs remains scarce. Our mail-back survey (n = 173) of UDCs and online survey (n = 3645) of parents investigated threats to GS access during daycare across 14 Japanese cities. Results suggest that UDCs use a variety of GS and aim to provide daily access. Caregivers are vital in mediating children’s access, but locally available GS diversity, quality and quantity as well as institutional support were perceived as lacking. Parents did not rank GS high among their priorities when selecting daycare providers, and showed limited awareness of conflicts during GS visits. Implications of this study include the need for caregivers and parents to communicate and collaborate to improve GS access, and the importance of strong public investment into holistically improving GS diversity, quality and quantity from the perspective of public health and urban planning.