1-013 - An International Perspective on Early Childhood Education and Care as a Promoter of Development in Disadvantaged Children

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Increased utilization of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC; i.e., formal childcare), especially by socially disadvantaged children, is a political goal in many high-income countries (e.g., Obama, 2014; European Commission, 2011), with the aim of leveling the playing field. Yet, both policies, and social- and economic- contexts vary considerably. While there is mounting evidence that ECEC promotes child development in some countries, like the US and Canada, an international perspective is essential as the move for more progressive ECEC policies becomes international (e.g., OECD, 2006; 2012). Many questions remain, e.g., regarding outreach and timing of ECEC, long-term effects, and conditions under which ECEC is most beneficial for disadvantaged children.
This symposium addresses these essential questions in data from three different countries. The first paper draws on Canadian data, examining associations between amount and timing of center care and school achievement at 12 years of age, with specific focus on differential associations for children from low- and higher socioeconomic status. The second paper is from the US, and investigates whether a home visiting program for at-risk families promotes use of formal child care, and whether formal child care use is associated with improved socioemotional and language development in these vulnerable children. The third paper is from Norway, and addresses whether one salient structural quality feature of the ECEC setting, group size, is differentially associated with development of aggression in disadvantaged and more advantaged children. The discussant will address implications of ECEC as a lever for disadvantaged children in different sociopolitical contexts.

Sub Unit

• School Readiness/Childcare

Chair

• Henrik D. Zachrisson, University of Oslo

Discussant

• Ann Easterbrooks, Tufts University

Individual Presentations

• Low Socioeconomic Status in Early Childhood and School Performance at 12 Years: The Moderating Role of Childcare Services - Presenting Author: Sylvana Cote, Universite de Montreal; Julie C. Laurin, University of Montreal; Christa Japel, Université du Québec à Montreal; Michel Boivin, Laval University; Richard E Tremblay, University of Montreal

• Child Care as a Protective Factor: Investigating the Impact of Child Care in an At-Risk Sample - Presenting Author: Rachel C. Katz, Tufts University; Ann Easterbrooks, Tufts University

• Does group size in Child Care matter more for disadvantaged children’s aggressive behavior in a context of regulated quality? - Presenting Author: Henrik D. Zachrisson, University of Oslo