HUMAN RESOURCES at MIT
Know the Key Correlates of Quality

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Research and early childhood professional opinion have consistently identified the following as key correlates of quality in child care settings:

Group Size
Group size has been related to the most consistent effects on teacher and child behavior in centers and family day care homes and to children’s development in child care (Ruopp et al, 1979; Howes, 1983). Professional standards recommend (National Research Council, 1990):

Infants to 1 year of age 6 – 8 per group
Toddlers, 1 – 2 years old 6 – 12 per group
3-year-olds 14 – 20 per group
4 – 5-year-olds 16 – 20 per group

Staff: Child Ratios
Staff:child ratios also correlate with quality caregiving behaviors (Ruopp, 1978; Howes, 1989): lower ratios are identified with more positive emotional climate, higher levels of talk and play behavior, and for infants and toddlers, more secure attachment to caregivers. Professional standards recommend (National Research Council, 1990):

Age Group

Recommended Minimum
Adult: Child Ratio

 Massachusetts OCCS Ratio Requirements for Child Care Centers
Birth - 2 years 1:4 or less Under 15 months: 1:3 or 2:7
2-year-olds 1:3 to 1:6 15 - 33 months: 1:4 or 2:9
3-year-olds 1:5 to 1:10 2.9 - 5 years: 1:10
4- and 5-year-olds 1:7 to 1:10  

Staff Wages and Working Conditions
In child care centers, staff wages are strongly linked with quality of care (Report of the National Child Care Staffing Study, 1989). Centers paying the lowest wages also lose the most teachers. In family day care settings, caregiver isolation appears to negatively impact quality (Rosenthal, 1988).

Caregiver Stability and Continuity
Opportunity for children to form relationships with individual caregivers, and the stability of caregivers over time, have been found to influence children’s security and attachment, the complexity of their play, and their later school adjustment (Vaughn et al, 1980; Howes and Stuart, 1987).

Staff Qualifications
In both centers and family day care homes, caregiver training in child development appears to be key to higher quality (Ruopp et al, 1979; Fosburg, 1981). Overall educational level has also been linked with more positive caregiver behaviors, including richer, more positive verbal interactions. There is little indication that greater caregiver experience, on its own, produces higher quality caregiving.

Structure and Content of Daily Activities
Programs that foster children’s social and cognitive development provide adequate amounts of time for free, open-ended play in addition to providing organized group and learning activities (McCartney, 1984; Schweinhart, 1986). In family day care homes, the inclusion of “child-designed” space (space designed for children rather than adults) has been associated with higher quality care (Howes, 1983).

Other Program Features
Parents frequently stress the importance of adequate health and safety measures. Other important features to look for include multicultural curriculum, parental involvement, and a good “match” of program features to a child’s needs.