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Learning
& Education . Day Care and the 'Problem' Kids As if the issue of day care wasn't embattled enough, a recent study which hit the media on April 18th appeared to confirm lots of folks' worst fears: kids who spent 30 hours or more each week in day care were three times more likely to exhibit 'problem' behaviors in kindergarten than those who were cared for by their moms. Dr. Jay Belsky one of the principal investigators in the study, said that children who spent more than 30 hours a week in child care "are more demanding, more noncompliant, and they are more aggressive." They also showed a greater preponderance for "lots of fights, cruelty, bullying, meanness, as well as talking too much." And, as if that weren't enough of a list, Dr. Belsky also noted that their "demands must be met immediately." The research, which was financed by the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, is regarded as the most comprehensive examination of child care to date. The study followed more than 1,100 children in 10 cities, and in a variety of settings -- including those cared for by relatives or nannies, those in preschool, and those at large day care centers. The study's findings, which have yet to be published, were based upon ratings of the children by their mothers, by those caring for them, and by the kindergarten teachers in whose classes they later ended up. These behavioral ratings for children who were in child care for more than 30 hours each week showed that 17% were considered to be aggressive toward other children. That figure compared with a 6% rating for children in child care less than 10 hours each week. Among the more notable findings, lead researchers suggested that the behaviors noted held true across all sorts of boundaries and groups. What they identified more generically as aggression, defiance & disobedience appeared regardless of the type or quality of the care provided, the sex of the child, the family's socioeconomic status, or whether the children's mothers themselves provided care, however sensitively. On an up and somewhat paradoxical note, they also found that the children who spent more time in child care centers during the first 4-1/2 years were more likely to display better language skills and have better short- term memory. Of course, the fact that the study was based upon observations and ratings establishes a correlation, and not a cause & effect. Unfortunately, many who hear such reports don't discriminate between the two. Even so, the fact that 17% of the kids in the study who were in day care 30 hours or longer exhibited some problems at a rate three times more likely than the kids in day care 10 hours or less, still means that 83% of the kids who spent more time in day care did not exhibit the problems at all. While not discounting the problems, in this light, others, most notably day care advocates, were quick to respond to the report. Suggesting that the correlation between these difficulties and day care might not be due to day care itself, Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute, a nonprofit research organization in New York, suggested it might be due instead to the fact that "employed parents are tired and stressed." Another day care advocate, Claudia Wayne, the former director of the Center for the Child Care Workforce, said that quality might actually be the real issue, because most child care is not of particularly high quality. According to the Children's Defense Fund in Washington, 13 million preschoolers, including 6 million infants and toddlers, are in child care in this country, while only one-fourth are cared for by their parents. Another 25% are cared for by their relatives, a group which was included in the definition of child care in the N.I.H. study. Almost 30 percent of America's children are in child care centers. Another 15% are with family child care providers, and 5% are cared for by in-home caregivers, according to the CDF stats. Back in 1986, Dr. Belsky, who left his position at Penn State a couple of years ago to join researchers at the University of London, helped to fuel the day care debate when he published a piece suggesting that there might be a link between day care and developmental problems. Then he was so reviled -- both by day care advocates and colleagues -- that his publisher actually removed his name from the 2nd edition of a book he co-authored, hoping the move might increase sales. He and the other researchers associated with the more current study -- ironically including some who had blasted his original work -- are quick to point out that it has yet to be subject to the kind of follow-up and testing that might confirm or call into question some or all of its findings. Dr. Sarah Friedman, project co-ordinator for the child health institute, acknowledged that the study's findings could have a number of possible conclusions, including the fact that child care providers are not trained to give the kind of emotional support often required by very young chidren. Dr. Friedman evidently also acknowledged Ellen Galinsky's explanation as plausible. Finally, to underscore the tentative nature of the findings, Dr. Friedman also noted that, while the children's behavior was more demanding and aggressive, it was still "in the normal range." The research team will continue to track the children to see if problems identified persist. But, for the time being, the report has managed to generate a lot of attention ... and the value of day care has once again been called into question. .. ******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our Learning & Education section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at learn@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. 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