While parents have the most influence on their children’s lives, non-parental care can also have a significant impact, the authors of this paper point out. Whether that impact is good or bad depends on a variety of factors, including the quality of care the child is receiving.

Quality child care can promote positive child development, early learning, and school readiness. Further, quality child care can also serve as a family support program, providing parents with valuable and up-to-date information on child health, development, and nutrition. It can help families, particularly those at risk, to create a more supportive and caring home environment.

The quality of care a child receives depends greatly on the individual family’s situation. Families with higher incomes and greater social and emotional resources tend to use higher quality care, while poorer families may have to rely on poorer quality care.

The authors note that recent research studies on child care all point to the need for well-trained and well-educated child-care providers who are compensated fairly for their work; sufficient child-care spaces and enough child-care providers to ensure a high adult-child ratio and small group sizes; and child care that is affordable for all parents.