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Galinsky, E., Howes, C., & Kontos S. (1995). The family child care training study. New York, NY: The Families and Work Institute.
This report details findings from a family child care training study that examined the effectiveness of training on child well-being.
The Study
- Policies released in the early 1990s focused on school-readiness for young children. This was a good idea but ignored the fact that children are placed in a variety of child care settings – not all of which are school-like.
- Studies indicate that children excel in environments with warm and supportive caregivers – the type of room they are in matters less.
- Studies have also shown that caregivers who develop plans and create learning environments for children are more likely to promote good outcomes for the children than those who do not develop plans.
The Methods
- Samples (n=130) were culled from a Family-to-Family training program in San Fernando Valley, CA; Dallas, TX; and Charlotte, NC.
- A comparison group of other providers in the communities was also utilized (n=112).
The Findings
- An analysis of the Family-to-Family sample and the comparison group showed they were very similar. Those who seek out training are equally warm and sensitive to children; plan daily experiences; and are responsive to children’s needs, compared to those who do not seek out training.
- After Family-to-Family training the treatment group responded positively to the training. More providers engaged in new activities with the children and had a greater awareness of child development and growth.
- At six-month follow-up children showed greater attachment to their child care provider and for two of the three sites, global quality improved. Providers sought more training and renewed their commitments to their jobs. Providers also became more involved in child care networks.
- Other findings indicated that providers raised their rates for preschoolers and were more likely to correctly complete tax forms than before the training. Enrollment rates of children also rose.
- Providers with less experiences improved the most.
- All training formats were found to be useful.
- At one-year follow-up providers still pursued more training and were more likely to stay in the field that those without the training.
R2P Evaluation
Although this study is almost 10 years old the conclusions are very pertinent to the state of the field of child care today. Training enhances child outcomes.
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