Comparing state policy approaches to early care and education quality: A multidimensional assessment of quality rating and improvement systems and child care licensing regulations

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 266-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maia C. Connors ◽  
Pamela A. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Child Care ◽  
State Policy ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Multidimensional Assessment ◽  
Quality Rating

Process Evaluation of an Early Care and Education Intervention: The California Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration Study (CA-CORD)

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shih-Fan Lin ◽  
Amy Binggeli-Vallarta ◽  
Griselda Cervantes ◽  
Janette Angulo ◽  
Jamie S. Moody ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Child Care ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Latino Children ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Obesity Research

Given the widespread use of out-of-home child care in the United States, early care and education (ECE) providers offer ideal settings to promote health behaviors among Hispanic/Latino children whose obesity prevalence remains high. This study details the process evaluation of ECE intervention strategies of a childhood obesity research demonstration study (California Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration [CA-CORD]) to prevent and control obesity among Hispanic/Latino children aged 2 to 12 years. Participating ECE providers received the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) materials and action planning sessions with a trained interventionist; Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) physical activity (PA), health behavior, and body mass index assessment trainings; and health behavior toolkit, cooking kit, water dispensers, and posters to promote healthy eating, PA, water consumption, and quality sleep. Intervention logs and director/lead teacher interviews evaluated how well 14 center-based and 9 private ECE providers implemented policy, system, and environmental changes. NAP SACC was implemented with higher fidelity than other strategies, and participation in SPARK trainings was lower than health behavior trainings. ECE directors/lead teachers reported that the intervention activities and materials helped them promote the targeted behaviors, especially PA. Results demonstrated that the use of NAP SACC, trainings, and toolkit had high fidelity and were potentially replicable for implementation in ECE settings among Hispanic/Latino communities.

Relating early care and education quality to preschool outcomes: The same or different models for different outcomes?

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 35-51
Author(s):  
Margaret Burchinal ◽  
Kylie Garber ◽  
Tiffany Foster ◽  
Mary Bratsch-Hines ◽  
Ximena Franco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Early Care

Training To Ensure Healthy Child Day-Care Programs

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 1108-1110
Author(s):  
Abby Shapiro Kendrick
Keyword(s):  
Child Care ◽  
Training System ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Child Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Field Orientation ◽  
Ongoing Training ◽  
Service Training ◽  
Orientation Training

Training in child care assumes a number of forms. There is pre-service training (needed before entering the field); orientation training (received when first on the job, highlighting the most essential skills, tasks and knowledge needed to begin the job); and ongoing training (required by regulation or recommended periodically for current staff). Despite the fact that training is known to have a positive effect on the field of early care and education, the current training system is fraught with problems. A 1991 national survey conducted by the Wheelock College Center for Career Development in Early Care and Education found that at least one of three key informants in 59% of states said "training is fragmented, random, scattershot, and not based on the needs of the field."1 The licensing system requires minimal training and experience. For teachers in child-care centers, five states require no training, four states require pre-service training, 29 states require only ongoing training, and 14 states require both pre-service and ongoing training. Few states require more than 10 hours of annual ongoing training for any child-care professionals. For family child-care providers, the numbers are even lower: 24 states require no training and only 12 states require annual ongoing training.1 If first aid and cardiaopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification are required, there is little time for any other training. In addition to limited funds to support training and limited incentives for providers, administrators, on funders to invest in training, other well-known barriers to implementing systematic and coordinated training efforts include the following items:

scholarly journals State Regulations to Support Children’s Cultural and Religious Food Preferences in Early Care and Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Ayers Looby ◽  
Natasha Frost ◽  
Sarah Gonzalez-Nahm ◽  
Elyse R. Grossman ◽  
Julie Ralston Aoki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Care ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
State Regulations ◽  
Family Child Care Homes ◽  
Meal Planning ◽  
Nutrition And Dietetics

Abstract Objective In July 2018 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics released a benchmark encouraging early care and education (ECE) programs, including child care centers and family child care homes, to incorporate cultural and religious food preferences of children into meals. We examined the extent to which states were already doing so through their ECE licensing and administrative regulations prior to the release of the benchmark. This review may serve as a baseline to assess future updates, if more states incorporate the benchmark into their regulations. Methods For this cross-sectional study, we reviewed ECE regulations for all 50 states and the District of Columbia (hereafter states) through June 2018. We assessed consistency with the benchmark for centers and homes. We conducted Spearman correlations to estimate associations between the year the regulations were updated and consistency with the benchmark. Results Among centers, eight states fully met the benchmark, 11 partially met the benchmark, and 32 did not meet the benchmark. Similarly for homes, four states fully met the benchmark, 13 partially met the benchmark, and 34 did not meet the benchmark. Meeting the benchmark was not correlated with the year of last update for centers (P = 0.54) or homes (P = 0.31). Conclusions Most states lacked regulations consistent with the benchmark. Health professionals can help encourage ECE programs to consider cultural and religious food preferences of children in meal planning. And, if feasible, states may consider additional regulations supporting cultural and religious preferences of children in future updates to regulations.

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