Good Quality Day Care

What constitutes good quality day care?

There is reasonable agreement among researchers about the characteristics of good quality day care. 'Structural' characteristics refer to how day care is organised, which is set out in government policies. Campbell et al. (2000) argue that structural characteristics of good quality day care include the following:

• A low adult to child ratio to ensure each child can receive plenty of adult attention and stimulation. The recommended ratio varies depending on the age of the child.
• A small sized group: small groups are easier for young children to deal with as there are fewer strangers.
• A mixed age group of children combining older and younger children: research by Clarke-Stewart et al. (1994) notes that social development is improved when children are placed in mixed age groups. This is…