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Brief: Wages Strong Indicator of High-Quality Child Care
What
are the strongest determinants of child care quality, and what public
policies can be implemented to foster high-quality care? Do teacher-child
ratios, staff wages, or the degree to which a state enforces regulatory
standards translate into better outcomes for children?
A study of 104 child care centers in Boston, Central Virginia, and Atlanta found that classroom quality was most strongly associated with teacher wages. This finding is significant in that previous studies have focused on other factors - particularly ratios, teacher training, and group size - as determinants of child care quality. Wages and ratios predicted classroom quality over all three age groups in the study (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers). The study also found that other factors, such as teacher training and parent fees, were good predictors of quality for the two younger age groups only. Additionally, the research indicates the importance of regulatory considerations such as teacher-child ratios and initiatives aimed at increasing child care salaries for improving the quality of center-based care. However, the likely increases in parent fees resulting from raised wages weighs against the need to keep high-quality child care affordable for low-income families. This highlights the significant role of public and private subsidies in promoting access to high-quality care for all children. Source:
Facts in Action, August 2001 |
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