The research tells us that a 1:4 ratio would:
- reduce the transmission of disease in child care centres;
- reduce the number of situations involving potential danger and child abuse in child care centres;
- mean that babies would be more likely to have positive interactions with caregivers and be properly supervised;
- enable caregivers to have more positive, nurturing interactions with babies in their care and provide them with more individualised attention;
- mean that babies in child care would display less apathy and distress and greater social competence;
- mean that babies in child care engaged in more talk and play and displayed more gestural and vocal imitation;
- mean more developmentally appropriate caregiving
and sensitivity, more contact (e.g.,
talking, playing, touching, and laughing) - mean higher rates of secure attachments between babies and their caregivers;
- mean more verbal communication between caregivers
and babies, which appears to
foster language development in children.
Media Release (27 September 2007):
US expert slams 1:5 ratio in NSW childcare centres
An international expert on early childhood development has described the
ratio of one staff member to five babies in New South Wales childcare
centres as ‘ridiculous’ and one of neglect.
Download media release (Word).
Research commissioned by DoCS
PricewaterhouseCoopers Draft Children’s Services Regulation, An
evaluation of potential benefits and costs;
Extract here (PDF).
Research by universities
Social Policy Research Centre Report: Impact of Staff Ratios On Under
2 Year Olds In
Children’s Services;
Download
here (PDF).
The Institute of Early Childhood’s Response to
the Draft Children’s Services Regulation 2002
Download here (PDF).
Research by Doctors
The Centre for Community Child Health released a Policy Briefs on quality
in children’s services. Policy Briefs translate the research evidence
around early childhood issues into easy to read short publications for
policy makers and service managers.
Download
here (PDF).
American Research
Thirteen Indicators of Quality Child Care: Research Update, Richard Fiene,
Ph.D., 2002 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
and Health Resources and Services Administration/Maternal and Child Health
Bureau, U.S.Department of Health and Human Services
Download here (PDF).