Surveyed day-care workers on effects of accreditation. Most respondents agreed that accreditation ensures high-quality care but they found the process difficult, mainly due to time constraints. Work conditions had not changed for half; half did not agree with the staff-child ratio; and three-quarters were not satisfied with their awards and wanted…

North Carolina's Work First (WF) program, like other welfare reform programs, incorporates personal responsibility contracts; paid work, volunteer work, or school requirements; and time limitations. Using telephone interviews, this study examined perceptions of 31 former welfare recipients who were enrolled in the North Carolina Work First (WF)…

A number of environmental influences--social, cultural, political, economic, and personal--work against the development of sustained professional practice and a professional self-image in qualified staff in early child care centersin Australia. These influences derive from the low professional status of child care workers, the physical and…

A feeling of community may be at the heart of child care workers' satisfaction with their job. The director plays a vital role in creating an emotional climate in which staff can feel safe, nurtured, and challenged to grow. Creating a sense of community among staff can be done in much the same way as in the classroom. (EV)

In this study of child care center wages, benefits, and working conditions, questionnaires were completed by directors and senior staff at 129 centers in Montgomery County, Maryland. Survey findings on staff education and experience indicated that 34 percent of staff had a bachelor's degree or higher. A typical staff member had 5.5 years of…

Summarized in this report is a study designed to explore the interrelationships that develop over time between two of the most important aspects of people's lives: their work and their families. Specifically, the study focuses on how the nature of women's jobs influences the system of nuclear family relationships and affects parents' involvement…

Results are reported from a 2-year study designed to explore how the nature of women's jobs, as viewed by women and their husbands, influences the system of nuclear family relationships and affects parents' involvement with their children's schools. The research has evolved into a comparative exploratory study of the responses of 30 families to…

Compared work environments of NAEYC accredited and nonaccredited centers using the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey. Found that innovativeness, goal consensus, opportunities for professional growth, and clarity accounted for the greatest differences between accredited and nonaccredited centers. Also found differences in staff's job…

Job turnover among a sample of child care workers was examined in relation to demographic, work-related, and nonwork-related factors. Findings indicated that the perceived choice of other jobs and job tenure both have an impact on intention to leave, as well as on actual 12-month turnover. (Author)

Two practitioners address problem of employee turnover in child care centers. The first plan argues for comprehensive wage raises, increased benefits, and low cost options to workers that increase flexibility. The second strategy advocates continuing education opportunities, special mentoring programs, and bonuses or raises paid early in the…