Child Care Changes, Home Environment Quality, and the Social Competence of African American Children at Age 3

Research Findings: Recent work has demonstrated that the changes young children experience in their child care settings before age 5 may be related to subsequent development, especially social development. Several of these studies have included samples of middle-class children, with almost no emphasis on understanding these processes for low-income and/or African American children. This study examined a rural African American sample of children from birth to 3 years of age to understand not only the role of child care changes in children's social development but, in addition, the role played by children's home environment quality. Results suggested that more changes in child care up to age 3 (defined as big changes in provider, location, or quantity of care) were associated with lower child care provider ratings of children's social competence. Furthermore, this link appeared to be stronger for children whose home environment was of low quality. Practice or Policy: Policy, practice, and research implications are discussed.