Study Examines Long-term Impact of Non-Relative Child Care

The most recent issue of Child Development featured an illuminating study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD) that examined the impact of non-relative child care for children from birth to 4 ½ years of age on children’s academic and social functioning at age 15.

This landmark study adds to the significant body of evidence that supports the beneficial academic and social benefits of quality early childhood programs from studies of programs such as the Abecedarian Project, High Scope/Perry Preschool, and  the Chicago Parent Center.

These studies suggested the considerable beneficial impact of high quality early childhood education programs on measures of language development and academic achievement, high school completion rates, criminal offenses, earnings at age 40, and many other societal benefits. This body of research led to the conclusions by Nobel prize winning economist, James Heckman, that the  “rate of return to a dollar of investment made while a person is young is higher than the rate of return to the same dollar made at a later age.”

You’ve heard all this before. And while true, much of this research and the basis for these claims relied heavily on research conducted on programs for vulnerable children, from lower-income, economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In contrast, this current study was conducted on an economically diverse sample, expanding our understanding of the long term impact of early childhood education programs on a broader range of children.

This study began in 1991 when slightly more than 1,000 families representing a range of economic, educational, and ethnic backgrounds were recruited as study participants. The children in these families were studied from birth to age 15, with assessments conducted at 1, 6, 15, 24, 36 and 54 months, when the children were in kindergarten and grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and at age 15. 

Child care arrangements included maternal care, center-based care, child-care home, in-home care, father care, and grandparent care. Observations of the child care arrangements were taken to determine the quality of the children’s environment. At age 15 the children’s cognitive and academic achievement were measured along with their risk taking behavior (such as use of alcohol or drugs, lack of use of seat belts, use of weapons, property damage or theft). In addition, impulsivity and self-reported behavioral and emotional problems were assessed at that time.

This study confirmed the previous studies that demonstrated the beneficial impact of early child care on academic and cognitive achievement.

Not surprisingly, however, the beneficial impact was far more pronounced with higher quality care. When the quality of care was low, these beneficial impacts were not found. There was also evidence that the number of hours in child care had a small association with behavior problems.

The results of this study are important for several reasons.  Questions about the possible adverse social effects of child care, while modest, are certainly worthy of further research. However, most significantly this study expands the earlier research on the beneficial impact of child care to a broader range of children, while reaffirming the critical importance of quality care, not just routine supervision.

While this should give comfort to parents of children who are or will be attending early childhood education programs, it also reinforces the importance of carefully selecting a high quality environment to ensure the positive effects. {See earlier blog: Selecting an Early Childhood Education and Care Provider} 

Once again the research demonstrates that the time and care you take in making that decision can change your child’s life, not just in the short run, but for many years to come.