Infant and Toddler Child-Care Quality and Stability in Relation to Proximal and Distal Academic and Social Outcomes.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

This study considered the quality and stability of infant and toddler nonparental child care from 6 to 36 months in relation to language, social, and academic skills measured proximally at 36 months and distally at kindergarten. Quality was measured separately as caregiver-child verbal interactions and caregiver sensitivity, and stability was measured as having fewer sequential child-care caregivers. This longitudinal examination involved a subsample (N = 1,055) from the Family Life Project, a representative sample of families living in rural counties in the United States. Structural equation modeling revealed that children who experienced more positive caregiver-child verbal interactions had higher 36-month language skills, which indirectly led to higher kindergarten academic and social skills. Children who experienced more caregiver stability had higher kindergarten social skills.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Bratsch-Hines, ME; Carr, R; Zgourou, E; Vernon-Feagans, L; Willoughby, M

Published Date

  • November 2020

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 91 / 6

Start / End Page

  • 1854 - 1864

PubMed ID

  • 32662886

Pubmed Central ID

  • PMC7793551

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1467-8624

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0009-3920

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1111/cdev.13389

Language

  • eng