Child care research is traditionally interested in the effects of the child care experience on child development. This article examines a different question: Who shapes state child care policy in the United States? The study, based on 49 states, shows that contrary to expectations, women's political representation, governor's party affiliation, and state wealth are not related to regulatory requirements for higher standards of care. The results, however, indicate a negative association between the size of ethnic minority groups and two of the standards of care indicators relating to number of staff. There is also some support for the influence of state opinion liberalism. If the findings are indeed robust, they represent important policy implications for the well-being of children. KEY WORDS: child care; ethnicity; public opinion; race; state policy; women's political representation ********** For many families in the United States, child care and child development have become a joint responsibility among families and child care providers. However, unlike many Western European countries where early childhood care and education have become a public responsibility, it remains a private responsibility in the United States. Although public subsidies for child care are available in the United States, assistance is means-tested and mainly targeted at welfare families. Most U.S. families have to purchase care from the private market, which is more expensive than the costs of public college education in 49 states (Schulman, 2000). These families pay an average of $4,000 to $6,000 per year for a four-year-old in a child care center. Infant care and better quality care cost substantially more. Notwithstanding the availability of child care subsidies, children from poor families generally receive cheaper and poorer quality care, placing them at a higher risk of school failure. Critics lament the irony of the United States: It is a wealthy nation and produces the most influential body of research on early childhood programs, hut lacks a coherent policy for early childhood care and education and has no political will to produce better quality of care for all children (Boocock, 1995; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2000, 2001). There is vast research confirming the value of good quality child care. The gap in knowledge is who in the United States influences public policy and has the power to shape policies for children in need of early care and education. Who are the more powerful political actors--individuals, groups, and institutions--who speak for the estimated 14.4 million children younger than age five in regular child care and improve their well-being? This article examines the influence of political actors on a specific child care policy: setting quality standards for children. The political actors of interest are female legislators, public opinion, state governors, and state legislatures. Although other political actors, such as bureaucrats, business leaders, and the media, also have influence over policy making, data availability is a challenge, especially in cross-state comparisons. The study presented in this article contributes to child care research by focusing on child care policy and the factors that shape state policy choices. Much of the child care research to date has focused on the effects of the child care experience on child development. Using the research evidence on inaccessibility, nonaffordability, and poor quality of care, children's advocates argue for more public resources in delivery and funding of child care services. Policymakers do not necessarily base their considerations and decisions on research evidence, however, as other factors, such as ideology, budget constraints, and competing interests, come into play (Jansson, 2003). Research on child care policies is less prolific and concentrates heavily on monitoring the impact of the 1996 welfare reform. …
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Dec 1, 2009
Billie Jo Rodriguez + 2
Open Access
