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Informing policy, improving programs

An Evaluation of the Lane County Child Care Enhancement Project: Quality Improvement Outcomes

Presented by

Beth Green

Sonia Worcel

Child Care Research Roundtable

October 1, 2008

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What is the Child Care Enhancement Project?

• Funded through the Child Care Contribution Tax Credit

• Program administered by Family Connections at Lane Community College

• Interrelated Goals:

1. Decrease the cost of quality child care

2. Increase provider stability and wages

3. Increase child care quality

Program Components

1. Parent Subsidies

2. Provider wage enhancements & financial supports

3. Individualized mentoring, networking & technical assistance

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What Was the CCEP Evaluation?

• 3-year process and outcome evaluation

• Data collected on CCEP & control providers (randomly assigned) and families Observations of child care facilities Surveys of providers Surveys & interviews with facility

directors Surveys and interviews with parents

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Participating Facilities

2 CCEP child care centers (& 5 control centers)

12 CCEP family child care facilities (& 23 control)

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Quality Improvement Outcomes

• Quality measured by the QUEST Observations by trained data collectors Appropriate for family and center-based

providers Quality of provider-child interactions Quality of environment and materials

• Quality improvement outcomes found ONLY for family child care providers

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Physical Environment

CCEP family providers improved more in the quality of developmentally appropriate equipment

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Physical Environment

CCEP family providers improved more in safety of furnishings & materials

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Physical Environment

CCEP family providers improved more in quality of materials for language & literacy

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Curricula & Provider-Child Interactions

CCEP family providers increased the amount of support for social emotional development

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Curricula & Provider-Child Interactions

CCEP family providers provided more support than controls for cognitive development

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Curricula & Provider-Child Interactions

CCEP family providers provided more support than controls for language & early literacy development

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Why did CCEP Result in Quality Improvement for Family Providers?

CCEP providers (center and family) involved in more professional development activities

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Why Didn’t CCEP Result in Quality Changes for Center Providers?

Shorter length of intervention & less intense intervention for center providers

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Summary: Quality Outcomes

• Strong quality

improvement

for family providers

• Not successful for

center-based providers

• Center-based providers received less intervention, and may have been less engaged in networking and mentoring

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Summary: Other Outcomes

• CCEP Family providers were less likely to close (compared to controls)

• CCEP providers received significant wage enhancements (ranging from 1,00-$15,000)

• CCEP providers reported greater revenue stability

• Parents receiving subsidies purchased more hours of care, and reported fewer changes in childcare placements

• CCEP parents were more satisfied with childcare quality

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