Psychology 3260: Personality & Social Development

1. Psychology 3260: Personality & Social Development Don Hartmann Spring 2007 Lecture 17: Attachment II: Day Care

2. References & Supplementary Reading • Special Issue on child care research. (2003).Child Development, 74, 969-1075. • Belsky, J. (2001).Emanuel Miller lecture: Developmental risks (still) associated with early child care. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, 42, 845-859. • Families matter—even for kids in child care. (2003). Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 24, 58-62.

3. Infant Daycare: Introduction • Recent data (Scarr, 1998) indicates that about 40% of infants and todd- lers are cared for regularly by parents, 21% by other relatives, 4% at home by a sitter (non-relative), 14% in day-care homes, and 31% in day-care centers (a substantial increase over the past few decades).

4. Infant Daycare: A little history • Because so many parents are em- ployed, even with very young child- ren, the quality of infant alternative care (or other alternatives) becomes a very important consideration in infant outcomes • Need for daycare known at least since 1970 • Lack of facilities has resulted in “latchkey” children

5. Results of Day Care • Day Care is not day care, is not day care • Assuming that the day care is excellent • Excellent day care improves the social and intellectual functioning of children from economically disadvantaged homes • The earlier Swedish infants enter these high quality day care, the better is their cognitive, social, and emotional development 6 to 8 years later in elementary and junior high school • Poor quality day care: • Longitudinal study of middle-class families (Howes, 1990) indicates that early entry into day care is associated with problems later in childhood only when the care children received was of low quality. We will see, however, that the situation is a bit more complex than that.

6. Caveats • Issue not totally resolved. Children are not randomly assigned to day care vs. home care or to various quality of day care! • Day care is not day care, is not day care. The quality of day care in this country does not match that provided in various European countries… • We must look both at what happens in day care and what happens in home care to make sense out of differences between them. • And, according to Belsky, we must look at the length of time in alternative care.

7. Cost & Other Considerations… • In 1992, $1,500‑10,000 per year per child. In 2002 weekly rates in SLC range from $60-$168 • What are the bare necessities for good day care? • 4-12 children/adult—depending on age of child • Warm, expressive, and response caregivers • Stable staff • Age-appropriate curriculum • Responsive administration

8. Other Modifications of Day Care • Develop practices that build attachment to school & peer group • Use constructivist approaches—where children have opportunities to plan, initiate, & work with peers • Emphasize intrinsic & internalized motivation • Adopt a coherent focus that includes social development and group structures to support it

9. Parental Buffering • Compensate by spending more quality time with infant. • Work on being sensitive to the child’s needs at home, particularly to their stress • Adapt child to alternative care

10. Other Solutions (1) • Day care on work site • Work-sponsored aid in finding day care • Flexible work hours and position (family-friendly policies) • Flexible leave policies (the US has one of the worst of industrialized countries) • Use of existing school facilities: • After-school plans--use of schools as child retaining centers. • Use of high schools as combination day-care facilities and training facilities for parenting skills.

11. Other Solutions and a Commentary • Tax incentives • A focus on primary prevention

12. Summary of Attachment II Lectures • Historical Context • Maternal Employment • Child Care • Next: Lect. #17a: The Self • Go in Peace