Conducted by the Pennsylvania Office of Children, Youth and Families, this study compared findings of unannounced and announced licensing inspections of child care centers and homes. A statewide random sample of 377 child care centers and homes were selected to be reviewed through an unannounced inspection. All had been inspected within the…

The development of a checklist for use in monitoring and evaluating the quality of child care services, and the implications of use of the checklist by day care providers, are discussed. Several research studies that used the indicator checklist model have attempted to determine whether compliance with state child care regulations has a positive…

The relation between compliance with child care regulations and the quality of day care programs is discussed, and predictors of child care compliance are identified. Substantial compliance (90-97 percent, but not a full 100 percent compliance with state day care regulations) positively affects children. Low compliance (below 85 percent…

Describes the trilemma of inadequate quality, accessibility, and affordability of American child care. Proposes addressing the quality sector by utilizing a model which determines adult-child ratios based upon quality of staff. Model argues the more highly qualified the program staff, the higher the quality of the overall program. (Author/SD)

The relationships among independent observer ratings of a child care program on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), state department personnel ratings of program quality using the Child Development Program Evaluation Scale (CDPES), and self-evaluation ratings using the self-assessment instrument designed for the Early Childhood…