Child care influences on children’s adjustment and achievement in the first year of school
Jennifer Bowes, Linda Harrison, Alan Taylor, Naomi Sweller and Catherine Neilsen-Hewett
Institute of Early Childhood
Contact Email:   Jennifer.Bowesaces.mq.edu.au

Child Care Choices (CCC) is a study of the child care and early school experiences of children in urban and rural Australia. It focuses on factors that explain differences in children’s social-emotional strengths and difficulties, relationships with teachers and peers, feelings about school, learning skills, and achievements in literacy and numeracy in the first year of school. CCC used multiple respondents (parents, teachers, children, research assistants) and mixed methods (questionnaires, interviews, observations, assessments) over six annual waves of data collection. Results for 12 outcomes at school-age are presented, based on regression analyses using multiple imputation datasets containing 344 cases. Child care experiences as toddlers and preschoolers were found to be important predictors of outcomes at school-age. Longer hours and more multiple or changeable care arrangements were associated with poorer adjustment. Poorer socio-emotional and relationship outcomes were predicted by behaviour problems, negative social interaction towards peers, and less positive relationships with carers during earlier development and child care experience. The paper concludes that early school success is supported by the relationships children form with others and the learning opportunities they experience in good quality child care, but diminished by extensive amounts or instability of care.

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