This paper examines early child care settings and the effects, whether they are good or bad, on the developing child. Also, different factors and variables will be presented in relation to the quality and promotion of congruence across care settings.

This paper details different studies done on early child care from accredited literature and institutions, as well as magazines that focus on the topic of c

Despite the consistency of findings conducted in past decades a more recent investigation conducted by the NICHD (National Institute of Childrens Health and Development) Study of Early Child Care revealed no significant relation between child-care experience and attachment security. The study, which was conducted in the 1990’s, was the largest multistudy analyses ever conducted. It also had the advantage of being a longitudinal investigation, in which infants were identified at birth and followed through their first 3 years. The goal of the study was “to determine the conditions (in the mother and the child) under which routine child-care experience in the first 15 months of life could lead to increased or decreased rates of infant-mother attachment insecurity, as well as avoidant insecurity in particular. (Child Development, 1997, p. 862) The results of their study indicated that child care by itself constitutes neither a risk nor a benefit for the development of the infant-mother attachment relationship. However, the investigators found a link between better quality care and a higher level of maternal sensitivity. In contrast, they found that poor quality, unstable and minimal amounts of child care apparently added to the risks already relevant in poor mothering, so that the combined effects were worse than those of low maternal involvement. In short, higher quality care produces more favorable consequences than lower quality of care.

Some topics in this essay:
Child Care, Child Development, , Child Recently, Development Sep/Oct, Peer Interaction, child care, Belsky Rovine, quality care, care setting, child development, positive caregiving, studies conducted, child care setting, nonmaternal care, care settings, Research Network, Study Child, sep/oct 2001 1478, care peer, study child care, care questions, child development sep/oct, child development 1997,