TKW Consulting

Washington, D.C. –— A nationwide poll released today by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) reveals that, more than any other aspect of child care, parents are concerned about its quality. More than half of the parents surveyed ranked quality as their highest priority. Cost ranked second. While parents, naturally, first associate quality with loving and nurturing caregivers, many consider specialized training of caregivers a leading indicator of quality care.

This new data mirrors recent findings specific to Minnesota showing that parents are increasingly focused on the quality of care their children receive. *. Moreover, they consider quality child care to be of such importance that they overwhelmingly support increased state spending on the early education system.** The value of quality child care is a guiding principle of the local statewide affiliate of NACCRRA.The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network offers parents free information on finding, identifying, and affording quality child care and additionally works to raise the education levels and resources available to our state’s child care providers. The statewide agencies representing Minnesota’s R&R system offer grants, professional development training opportunities, and technical assistance to child care professionals.

More than nine in 10 parents nationally surveyed favor requiring that caregivers be trained both before and while working with children. Most parents (92 percent) also favor setting quality standards for all types of child care to help children get ready to succeed in school. Recent data shows that Minnesota has room to improve on school readiness with only 50% of our children arriving at school prepared to learn. A voluntary quality rating system is currently being considered for funding by the legislature as is a bill increasing training hour requirements for licensed family child care providers.

The quality of care a child receives during the first five years of life is critical because 90 percent of brain development occurs during those years. With nearly 12 million children under the age of 5 in the United States in some type of child care arrangement every week, the importance of quality, affordable care is paramount. Around three-quarters of Minnesota families (74%) with children under 13 use child care regularly.

NACCRRA released a report on the survey today: “Parents’ Perceptions of Child Care in the United States: Findings from a National Survey of Parents.” In February, it conducted a nationwide survey of parents to better understand what they consider when they are looking for child care, what they expect and want from child care, and what barriers they face in obtaining high-quality child care.

“The results of our survey should be a wake-up call to policy-makers,” says Ann McCully, Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network Executive Director. “Parents need child care, and they don’t want just any care; they want high-quality care. They want their children in a safe and healthy learning environment that prepares them to enter school ready to succeed.”

NACCRRA’s poll represents 592 parents nationwide who have at least one child under age 6. Responses to the poll have an overall margin of error of plus-or-minus 4 percent. Respondents to the poll are representative of the overall population of parents of young children, based on geography and key demographic criteria.

To download a free copy of NACCRRA’s “Parents’ Perceptions of Child Care” poll report, visit www.naccrra.org. Parents interested in learning more about quality child care and finding it can contact their local R&R at 888-291-9811 or log on to www.mnchildcare.org.

• Full report
• Executive Summary
• Recommendations
• State by State Requirements
• Press release

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:54 PM