Quality Matters

Quality Matters

Parents know that the person who cares for their child many hours a week makes a difference in their child’s life and well-being.  Both common sense and research tell us that children’s brains are growing most quickly during their first years of life, and that their experiences during these critical early years lay the foundation for the rest of their lives. As a result, child care affects the way that children think, learn and behave. 

 NACCRRA Reports

We Can Do Better: 2011 Update,  NACCRRA’s Ranking of State Child Care Center Regulation and Oversight

More than 11 million children younger than age 5 spend an average of 35 hours a week in some type of child care setting. State child care licensing requirements govern the health, safety and learning opportunities for these children. State oversight requirements monitor compliance with state policies.

Leaving Children to Chance: 2010 Update,  NACCRRA’s Ranking of State Standards and Oversight of Small Family Child Care Homes

This is NACCRRA’s fourth year of ranking state child care standards and oversight affecting young children. As indicated by this report, states do not have regulations in place that protect children in small family child care homes. Only four states received 70 percent or higher of the basic requirements needed to ensure that children are in care that safeguards their health and safety and promotes development and learning. Four out of five states license child care that meets fewer than half of the most basic standards to promote child safety and healthy development.

Child Care: Like the Military, Is It Time for Shared Responsibility? 

Child Care: Like the Military, Is It Time for Shared Responsibility?" reviews the evolution of child care in the United States and compares and contrasts child care policies implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD).
 

Unequal Opportunities for Preschoolers: Differing Standards for Licensed Child Care Centers and State-Funded

Prekindergarten Programs  ( 44.12 MB )

This 2009 report compares state licensing regulations for center-based child care and early learning programs with standards for state-funded prekindergarten initiatives. As a basis for comparison, it uses the quality standards checklist developed by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). The comparison also includes information about Head Start program standards and Department of Defense (DoD) regulations for military child care.

Making Quality Child Care Possible: Lessons Learned from NACCRRA's Military Partnerships   ( 7.89 MB )

This 2008 report examines the findings from NACCRRA's partnerships with the military. Since 2004, NACCRRA has conducted five major initiatives designed to help military families meet their child care needs. These initiatives provided NACCRRA with the opportunity to test whether the quality of civilian care can be improved by applying some of the strategies used to improve military child care.