Child and day care, effects of

Childcare participation has both positive and negative consequences for children’s development. In the area of intellectual development, children in high-quality childcare centers perform better on cognitive tests than children at home or in low-quality centers, and this is especially true for children from impoverished backgrounds. Children in childcare also have advanced peer interaction skills. However, children in childcare, especially those who spend large amounts of time in care of poor quality, may display more behavior problems than children who remain at home. Childcare effects are modest in size and must be considered in conjunction with the family environment.