Four Studies Give Cause for Concern

 

Three different large daycare research projects were begun in the 90s. The results are consistent with each other and give cause for alarm.

The NICHD Study (National Institute of Child Health and Development)  (1,000+ children) (USA):

finds evidence that the amount of time through the first 4.5 years of life that a child spends away from his or her mother is a predictor of assertiveness, disobedience, and aggression.
Assertiveness defined as "bragging/boasting, talks too much, demands/wants attention, and argues a lot.
Disobedience defined as "defiant, uncooperative, fails to carry out assigned tasks, has temper tantrums and disrupts class discipline.
Aggression defined as "cruelty to others, destroys own things, gets in many fights, threatens others and hits others.
(1)

The EPPE Study (Effective Provision of Preschool Education)  (3,000 children) (UK)

finds "high levels of group care before the age of three (and particularly before the age of two) were associated with higher levels of anti-social behaviour at age three. (2)

The FCCC Study (Families, Children and Child Care) (1,200 children) (UK)

One of the longest and most detailed studies of UK childcare has concluded that young children who are looked after by their mothers do significantly better in developmental tests than those cared for in nurseries, by childminders or relatives.
According to Penelope Leach, a leading British childcare expert and one of the study's authors, the social and emotional development of children cared for by someone other than their mother 'is definitely less good'.
Such children tend to show higher levels of aggression or are inclined to become more withdrawn, compliant and sad. (3)

Closer to home the results of the Quebec Daycare Study as reported in the Montreal Gazette February 02, 2006

For almost every measure, we find an increased use of child care was associated with a decrease in their well-being relative to other children. For example, reported fighting and other measures of aggressive behaviour increased substantially. The well-being of parents also declined, with more mothers reporting depression. There was also a greater incidence of hostile parenting and dissatisfaction with spouses. (4)

References:

1.        NICHD Early Childcare Research Network, "Does Amount of Time Spent in Childcare Predict Socioemotional Adjustment During the Transition to Kindergarten?", Child Care and Child Development, Guilford Press 2005 pp 297-317

2.    Madeleine Bunting  The Guardian July 8, 2004

3.    Yvonne Roberts  The Observer  October 2, 2005 

4.    Quebec daycare bad for children  Kazi Stastna The Gazette  February 02, 2006

What Can We Learn from Quebec's Universal Childcare Program?  C. D. Howe Institute
http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/ebrief_25_english.pdf


      Universal Childcare, Maternal Labour Supply and Family Well-Being.   Michael Baker, Jonathan Gruber, Kevin Milligan  Working Paper 11832 ©National Bureau of Economic Research, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 December 2005