Child Care Training Research Articles

Is There a Difference Between Center and Home Care Providers’ Training, Perceptions, and Practices Related to Obesity Prevention?

To compare the obesity related training, practices, and perceptions of home child care providers and center care providers. A self-administered survey was collected from child care providers who attended local child care training workshops in east central Illinois from March 2009 to August 2010. Study results were based on responses from 88 home care providers and 94 center providers. The survey questions addressed child care providers' training in the prior year, their obesity prevention practices including written policies, their perceptions of influences on children's health, and factors determining food menu selection. Paired t tests and Chi-square tests were used to compare the difference by child care type. 81.9% of home care providers and 58.6% of center care providers received nutrition training, while 66.7 and 43.0% of these providers received physical activity training, respectively. Nutrition content, guidelines or state regulations, and food availability were the most important factors that influenced both types of care providers' food service menus. Both care provider types perceived they have less influence on children's food preferences, eating habits, and weight status compared to the home environment. However, home care providers perceived a smaller discrepancy between the influences of child care and home environments compared to center care providers. Compared to center providers, home care providers were more likely to have had training, be involved with health promotion activities, and rate their influence higher on children's health behaviors. Findings underscore the need for obesity prevention efforts in both types of child care settings.

Words from the heart speak to the heart

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand, from the child care worker's perspective, how work experience, display rules, and affectivity are related to emotional labor. It also examines the utility of separating surface acting into its two components: the hiding and faking of emotions.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a cross‐sectional self‐report survey of 198 child care workers in Western Canada.FindingsDeep acting occurred more frequently among younger workers, whereas experienced workers hid their feelings more frequently than did their less‐experienced counterparts. The requirement to express positive emotions was associated with deep acting and faking emotions, whereas the requirement to suppress negative emotions was associated with hiding feelings.Research limitations/implicationsResults support the treatment of surface acting's components as distinct given their differential association with the other variables. Future research should validate the emotional labor measure in service occupations that involve different frequency and intensity levels of contact.Practical implicationsThe finding that young and inexperienced workers appear to engage in different emotion regulation strategies than mature and experienced workers may be due to their job training. A potential solution is to include service learning projects in child care training that build their confidence in communicating with parents.Originality/valueUse of the revised Emotional Labour Scale in future studies may facilitate a deeper understanding of workplace emotional expression.

The Diffusion of Innovation in Nursing Regulatory Policy

Safe medication administration is an essential component of high-quality child care. Its achievement in New Jersey was impeded by a controversy over whether teaching child care providers medication administration involves registered nurses in the process of nursing delegation. Through the theoretical framework of the Diffusion of Innovation, this paper examines how the interpretation of regulatory policy related to nursing practice in New Jersey was adjusted by the Board of Nursing following a similar interpretation of regulatory policy by the Board of Nursing in Connecticut. This adjustment enabled New Jersey nurses to continue medication administration training for child care providers. National data supporting the need for training child care providers in medication administration is presented, the Diffusion of Innovation paradigm is described; the Connecticut case and the New Jersey dilemma are discussed; the diffusion process between the two states is analyzed and an assessment of the need for further change is made.

EYFS Review: guide to the new Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements

Mandy Terry, consultant for Acorn Childcare Training, outlines key changes being proposed to the existing Welfare Requirements and how they are likely to affect your practice

Assessing Indiana’s Health and Safety in Early Care and Education Programs: Identifying Areas for Improvement

The objective of this study is to describe the key National Health and Safety Standards (NHS) met in early care and education (ECE) programs in Indiana and to establish reliability for the Indiana Health and Safety Checklist. The Indiana Health and Safety Checklist, modified from the California Childcare Health Program's Health and Safety Checklist, includes 87 items and 11 subscales. It was completed in 2h by trained child care health consultants in 82 ECE programs to assess the number of key NHS met. The 82 ECE programs met the majority of NHS items. Thirteen items were not met in more than 50% of the programs. The items with the lowest compliance were emergency food supplies, children's hand washing, special health care plans, cleaning and sanitizing counters, and impact surfaces under playground equipment. The Indiana Health and Safety Checklist had moderate internal reliability for 6 of the 9 subscales analyzed. ECE programs strive to provide high quality care and the programs met the majority of NHS on the checklist. The Checklist is a reliable instrument that helped identify health and safety gaps and thus, identified the targeted interventions for child care health consultation.

우리나라 보육실습의 현황분석: 보육실습 기관 및 지도교사, 보육실습생, 보육실습 지도비를 중심으로

This study aimed to investigate the current condition of student childcare training in Korea. Participants were 221 university professors, 467 childcare center directors, and 1,260 guidance teachers in Korea. They completed questionnaires the current condition of student childcare training centers, guidance teachers, student teachers, and student childcare training fees. The results showed 64.4% of these centers charged a student childcare training fee, and 35.6% of them did not charge a fee. The average student childcare training fee was 41,000 won. This study aims to offer a realistic understanding and effective information on student childcare training in Korea and to suggest practical standards for student childcare training.

Perspectives and Practices related to Nutrition and Physical Activity among Home‐Based Child Care Providers

ObjectivesTo understand the obesity related practices and perceptions among home‐based childcare providers.MethodThe CRAYON (Caretaker Research Advance Youth Obesity Knowledge) group and Child Care Resource Services (CCRS) at University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign conducted a survey study in child care training workshops in Champaign County, IL. Total 40 home‐based care providers completed a self‐administered survey.ResultsAbout 78% child care providers received training on nutrition and 72% on physical activity during the past year. 95% providers taught children about nutrition and 61% provided nutrition information to parents. The important factors in deciding food menu are followed: 90% CACFP guideline or state regulation, 89% nutritional contents, 89% availability, 77% convenience, 73% children's preferences, 72% cost, and 70% parent requests. It is noted that providers consider they have about the same influence on food preferences, eating habits, and physical activity compared with those of parents. However, providers think that home environment has a stronger influence on weight status of children than child care environment.DiscussionNot enough child care providers offer parents information on nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention. Further studies are needed to understand the barriers and facilitators of health promotion opportunity in home‐based child care setting.

Training Staff to Measure the Engagement of Children with Disabilities in Inclusive Childcare Centres

Practitioner use of the revised Individual Child Engagement Record – Revised (ICER‐R) for observing children with disabilities in inclusive childcare is examined. Training in the use of the ICER‐R, which includes both a momentary time sampling observation system and rating scales, was provided across two training phases with five to seven participants. Four of the five participants who completed both phases of the training achieved greater than 80% inter‐observer agreement on the observation measure within the allocated time, and were able to maintain this level of agreement over subsequent observation sessions. There was consistency in ratings across observers and positive, statistically significant correlations were found for data gathered using momentary time sampling and data from rating scales. The practical value of the ICER‐R was supported by feedback provided through evaluation questionnaires completed by participants. Training childcare practitioners to systematically observe children with disabilities in inclusive childcare has the potential to benefit both children and staff.

‘Striking out’: Shifting labour markets, welfare to work policy and the renegotiation of gender performances

Since 1997, the English government has committed itself to the twin (and inter-linked) policy aims of reducing health inequalities and tackling social exclusion. Welfare to work interventions have formed a key part of the policy response to both of these problems. So far, this approach has been largely supply-side focused and ‘gender-blind’, treating both men and women who are not in employment as discrete entities who, with the right combination of training and support, can be engaged within the formal economy. Drawing on data from qualitative case studies of two such interventions in the North-East of England (one of which offered unemployed parents childcare training and the other of which provided vocational and advisory support to young parents), this paper contributes to a growing literature exploring the gender dimensions of social policy interventions. The findings emphasize the centrality of gender to participants and demonstrate the necessity of gender sensitivity in projects designed to tackle worklessness.

Supervision and training in child care: Does reflective supervision foster caregiver insightfulness?

The goal of this study was to explore the effects of reflective and traditional supervision and training on caregiver insightfulness. Caregiver insightfulness, or caregiver ability to understand "motives underlying the child's behavior in a complete, open, and accepting way" (D. Oppenheim, D. Goldsmith, & N. Koren-Karie, 2004, p. 352) was assessed at two time points with 21 new caregivers at two university-based childcare sites. Trends suggest that caregiver insightfulness was relatively stable while increased levels of components of caregiver insightfulness over a period of approximately 2.5 months were positively associated with reflective supervision and training. These findings suggest that encouraging caregivers to reflect on their interactions with the children in their care fosters caregivers' ability to see from the child's perspective in an open and accepting way.

‘And Hairdressers are Quite Seedy…’: The Moral Worth of Childcare Training

This article draws on initial interviews with students on childcare courses at levels 2 and 3 in two Further Education colleges in Greater London. The authors argue that the morally worthy nature of childcare makes it an excellent site in which students who had often operated at the margins of their schools, sought to reinvent themselves as mature and responsible students both in their placements and at college. In this they appear to embody the claims of those theorists that argue for the opportunities available for individuals, freed from traditional ties, to create their own biographies. The authors draw attention to the amount of labour on themselves that this reinvention involved for the students, and consider the extent to which students can be understood as having chosen childcare.

Effectiveness of Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) in a Preschool Setting

This research addressed the need for trained child care staff to support optimal early social-emotional development in urban, low-income, ethnic minority children. We evaluated effectiveness of Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT), an approach adapted from Eyberg's Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). TCIT focuses on increasing preschool teachers' positive attention skills and consistent discipline in order to enhance children's psychosocial functioning and prevent mental health problems. A total of 12 teachers participated in small-group workshop sessions with in vivo coaching on their use of skills in the classroom. A multiple-baseline design across four classrooms (3 teachers each) evaluated effects of training on teacher behaviors during weekly classroom observations. Findings indicated systematic increases in trained skills during intervention, and consumer evaluations showed that the training was rated positively. Our results suggest that TCIT is a promising approach for enhancing positive teacher-child interactions in a preschool setting and should receive further investigation.

Reflections from the ‘frontline’: social workers ' experiences of post-qualifying child care training and their current work practices in the new children ' s services

Purpose– In the context of current developments in children ' s services in the UK and increased emphasis on workforce development, the authors describe a survey of successful completers of a Post-qualifying (PQ) Child Care Award Programme, one of 18 such programmes in England that ran between 2001 and 2006/7. The survey ' s aims were twofold: first, to gather the respondents ' overall evaluations of their PQ training and information about their past and current work circumstances; and second, to explore their knowledge and opinions on the latest developments in children ' s services in relation to their own work practices. The findings from the survey are outlined under four themes, which are then discussed in relation to other relevant studies, reviews on the role and tasks of social workers and current developments associated with the Every Child Matters agenda and the integrated workforce. Concerns are raised about whether social work professionalism is being effectively utilised within the current children ' s services arrangements.

Scaling up support for children in HIV-affected families by involving early childhood development workers: community views from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS estimates that South Africa has 1.2 million orphans as a result of AIDS. This study investigated the views of communities in KwaZulu-Natal on the potential use of early childhood development (ECD) practitioners for helping children in vulnerable households. It reports on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with community members and service providers in six different areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Despite the increase in the numbers of deaths, people in affected areas have yet to accept that HIV is the cause. Stigma, denial, myths and witchcraft beliefs were evident, particularly in the rural areas. There was general agreement by the respondents that ECD practitioners with additional training specific to HIV/AIDS could assist families if cost difficulties were overcome. As community members with basic training in childcare they could enhance community responses by linking with community health workers and other service providers to assist children and households in need.

Preparing Child Care Health Consultants to Address Childhood Overweight: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Web to In-Person Training

Child care centers have recently become targets for overweight prevention efforts directed at young children. Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs), who provide consultation to these centers, receive little training on the basic nutrition and physical activity principles important for the promotion of child healthy weight. Traditional approaches, such as in-person training, are limited in their ability to disseminate health information to a geographically diverse population of health professionals. The purpose of this study was to determine if web-based training is as effective as in-person training. A randomized controlled trial was conducted between August 2005 and June 2006 with 50 CCHCs. Web-based and in-person trained CCHCs were compared to each other and to controls. The main outcome of this study was performance on a test of nutrition knowledge related to childhood overweight measured by a 28-item multiple choice test administered pre- and post-training. Results from the ANCOVA model suggest that web trained CCHCs performed similarly to in-person trained CCHCs on the knowledge test (P < .0001). Additionally, both training groups improved significantly compared to controls (P < .0001 for each group). This study found no significant differences in post-training knowledge between in-person and web trained Child Care Health Consultants. Scores on the post-training knowledge test were within 0.5 points for the in-person and web trained groups. These results demonstrate that web-based instruction is as effective as in-person training on improving basic nutrition and physical activity knowledge for promoting healthy weight in preschool children.

A profile of SRL Training

The second in a series of articles looking at childcare training centres across the UK.

Does training matter? A meta-analysis and review of caregiver training studies

A review of studies published between 1980 and 2005 shows a significant positive effect of specialized training on the competency of caregivers in childcare ( d = 0.45, S.E. = 0.10). Experimental results from the meta-analysis were significantly smaller for settings with no fixed curriculum content, delivery of the training at multiple sites and large-scale programs. Results were also smaller when tests were used that did not align closely with the content of the training. Furthermore, experimental results were smaller for the skills domain, compared to the knowledge and attitude domain. A subset of experiments with both caregiver and child data also showed a positive effect, supporting the causal link between caregiver training, caregiver competencies and child behavior in childcare, although this effect was not significant due to the small number of studies ( d = 0.55, S.E. = 0.30). Based on these findings, we advocate the inclusion of instruction related to teacher–child interaction in the curriculum of vocational training for caregivers.

A profile of Chiltern College

The first in a series of articles looking at childcare training centres across the UK.

Prevalence and psychosocial correlates of global developmental delay in 3-year-old children in the United Arab Emirates

Objective Developmental disabilities are lifelong conditions with considerable public health impact, incurring substantial financial and societal costs. Data on prevalence and associated factors can provide the basis for setting priorities and designing interventions. Methods A representative random sample of 694 United Arab Emirates national children aged 3 years were evaluated in a two-stage epidemiological study. Results Stage 1 screening using the Denver Developmental Screening Test found that 8.4% [confidence interval (CI): 6.4–10.7] had global developmental delay (GDD). Using clinical diagnostic interview in Stage 2, the weighted prevalence for clinically significant developmental disability was estimated to be 2.44% (CI: 1.28–3.56). GDD was associated with pregnancy and birth complications, poor maternal education, family history of developmental problems, and major traumatic life events, as well as behavioral problems in children. Conclusion Our findings suggest the need for comprehensive and early screening programs for developmental problems, and the importance of training medical and child care professionals accordingly.

Predictors of quality in family child care

Abstract This study of 231 regulated family child care providers proposed a theoretical model to explore the effects on quality of: (1) provider level of general education; (2) provider degree of intentionality; (3) provider training and experience in family child care; (4) provider use of support services; and (5) provider work environment. Hierarchical linear regressions confirmed the predictive power of the provider's degree of intentionality, level of education in early childhood education or a related discipline and use of support services. All these variables had a positive relationship with quality as measured by the Family Day Care Rating Scale (FDCRS). Higher level of general education in any field was a predictor until a college or university credential in ECE or a related discipline was included in the model. None of family child care training, length of experience as a provider, or any of the variables in the work environment block emerged as predictors. The data also supported the proposed associations between intentionality and the use of support services, training and the use of both support services and the work environment, and the use of support services and the work environment. While not totally supported by the data, the proposed theoretical model has value as a framework for further research. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for governments.