Background.
The debate about how, where and by whom young children should be looked after has occupied much social policy and media attention in recent years.
Objectives.
To quantify the effects of out-of-home day care for preschool children on educational, health and welfare outcomes for children and their families.
Search Strategy.
Randomized controlled trials of day care for preschool children were identified using electronic databases, hand searches of relevant literature, and contact with authors.
Selection Criteria.
Studies were included in the review if the intervention involved the provision of non-parental day care for children less than 5 years of age, and the evaluation design was that of a randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trial.
Data Collection and Analysis.
A total of 8 trials were identified after examining 920 abstracts and 19 books. The trials were assessed for methodological quality.
Main Results.
Day care increases children's IQ, and has beneficial effects on behavioral development and school achievement. Long-term follow-up . . . [Full Text of this Article]
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
