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Are There Long‐Term Effects of Early Child Care?
Author(s) -
Belsky Jay,
Vandell Deborah Lowe,
Burchinal Margaret,
ClarkeStewart K. Alison,
McCartney Kathleen,
Owen Margaret Tresch
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01021.x
Subject(s) - psychology , child care , developmental psychology , child development , language development , pediatrics , medicine
Effects of early child care on children's functioning from 4½ years through the end of 6th grade ( M age = 12.0 years) were examined in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development ( n =1,364). The results indicated that although parenting was a stronger and more consistent predictor of children's development than early child‐care experience, higher quality care predicted higher vocabulary scores and more exposure to center care predicted more teacher‐reported externalizing problems. Discussion focuses on mechanisms responsible for these effects, the potential collective consequences of small child‐care effects, and the importance of the ongoing follow‐up at age 15.