A new study from UNC's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) reveals that disruptions in child care negatively affect children's social development as early as age 4. However, the study also shows that the effects of child care instability are not unduly large—and some types of instability appear to have no negative impact on children.
"Our findings showed that when young children moved between child care settings, these transitions negatively affected their social adjustment," said FPG investigator Mary Bratsch-Hines. "But when children had a history of changing caregivers within the same setting, we found no significant effects."
Bratsch-Hines explained many experts believe forming stable and secure early relationships with parents and caregivers serves as a working model for children as they form social connections later.
"It follows that higher levels of instability and disruption in establishing strong relationships with caregivers during children's earliest years could lead to difficulties forming trusting relationships down the road," said Bratsch-Hines. "However, we have to recognize that changing child care settings and providers may be inevitable for a majority of families."
Bratsch-Hines said that ups and downs in income, availability of transportation, secure employment, and other factors can result in children moving into and out of different child care settings. But understanding the effects of such transitions on children has remained elusive.
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