Facts In Action

Starting child care at an earlier age has been shown to have a significant impact on school readiness, particularly for low-income and minority children. A recent study in the Journal of School Psychology explored the influence of child care on low-income, African American children's school-readiness. The participants were African American kindergarten children who were eligible for the federal free- and reduced-price school lunch program.

At the end of the school year, children were assessed with measures of school-readiness and social skills. The researchers found that African American children enrolled in child care for a greater number of years prior to kindergarten had higher levels of social and communication skills. They also found that children who spent more time per week in child care had better cognitive skills. They discovered that spending more time per week in prekindergarten child care resulted in lower social skills ratings. However, children who spent more hours in care each week often had spent a greater number of years in care. Indeed, the two child care exposure variables seemed to cancel each other out, and did not have a significant impact on social skills development when considered together.

The researchers also explored the impact of parenting style on the children's school-readiness. While the effect of parent behaviors was smaller than had been found in previous studies, the researchers maintained that both home and child care settings play an important role in the development of school-readiness. They suggested that prevention efforts are most likely to be effective when both the home and child care environments are addressed. They advocate for family-centered child care programs that address parenting and family involvement practices to promote school-readiness in low-income minority children.

Source:
"The Impact of Childcare and Parent-Child Interactions on School Readiness and Social Skills Development for Low-Income African American Children," C. M. Connell & R. J. Prinz, Journal of School Psychology, Volume 40, Number 2, 2002.

For more information:
Contact: Christian M. Connell, The Consultation Center, Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 389 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, call (203) 562-6355, or email Christian.Connell@yale.edu.

Facts in Action, January/February 2003