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Edie, D., Adams, D., Riley, D., & Roach, M. (2003). Family Child Care. Wisconsin Child Care Research Partnership, University of Wisconsin Extension. Report No. 3, September.
This report by the University of Wisconsin Extension, Child Care Research Partnership shared research-based knowledge on family child care and presented public policy options and their consequences.
The Study
- Family child care is often forgotten in public policy discussions.
- Overall, 33% of U.S. parents choose family child care for their children compared to 44% in Wisconsin.
- In order to receive public funding in WI, family child care providers must be licensed (< 4 children) or certified (> 4 children).
- This paper only examined licensed and certified family child care homes.
- There is disagreement in communities on the role of government in family child care.
- Wisconsin does subsidize child care for low income families who qualify. These families can chose either center-based or family child care.
- Licensed homes tend to enroll more children, have more experience, earn higher incomes, and are more likely to seek professional development opportunities compared to certified homes.
- Alternative policies for WI included:
- No change – would program quality suffer?
- Reduce government regulation of family child care – would it lower family child care quality?
- Apply regulation to more family child care homes – would eliminating certification level be less cumbersome to providers?
- Consolidate administration for child care regulation – would this lead to greater efficiency?
- Increase training and professional development – would this lead to more professionalization or discourage providers?
- Promote family child care systems and support groups – would the state become a national leader in the field?
R2P Evaluation
This article offers insights that may be helpful for public policy review and decision making in states with regards to family child care regulation and support.
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