A review of selected aspects of day care programs in Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas and New York which were funded under Title XX of the Social Security Act produced the following findings. The developmental needs of most children could be met with standards requiring less staff than those mandated by Federal Interagency Day Care Requirements (i.e.,…

Examined thresholds for two aspects of child care: adult-child ratio and group size. Investigated associations among different levels of these variables and with quality of care and children's social development. Findings suggest that meeting licensing standards for ratios and groups has a positive effect on ratings of the quality of care provided…

This review of research literature explores the possible harmful effects of day care programs on children's health and physical development, motor development, cognitive development, and social and emotional development, and suggests how variations in staff/child ratios may influence these effects. Two broad categories of conditions are identified…

This interim report on the National Day Care Study (NDCS) presents preliminary findings of the 4-year research program designed to answer major policy questions about federal funding of center-based preschool day care. Major NDCS objectives have been to determine the impact of variations in staff-child ratio, group size, and staff size and…