Child Care, Infant and Toddler

During the 1990s, the demand for quality infant and toddler child care grew significantly due to demographic trends and federal legislative policy change.

Working mothers with children under the age of 1 composed the fastest-growing group in the labor force, and approximately 50% of mothers with infants were employed in the labor force. Research findings on the importance of early brain development were widely publicized and resulted in unprecedented attention to the needs of infants and toddlers. Welfare reform legislation was passed, and the Childcare and Development Fund (CCDF), a block grant, was created by blending the four major federal child care programs. States were given considerably greater resources and latitude in programming and spending to promote quality infant and toddler care and were also required to set aside 4% of their grants specifically for quality improvement efforts (known as the “earmark”).

These trends were accompanied by an increase in the demand for quality infant and toddler care, because data clearly show that the quality of care is linked to developmental outcomes (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2000). With the increased demand for quality infant and toddler care came greater awareness and attention to problems facing the child care field. Studies conducted during the 1990s raised serious questions about quality in both formal and informal care. This entry reviews data on quality care, assessment, and applications for child care improvements.