Multiple Child-Care Arrangements and Their Effects on Behavioural Problems in Children under 5 Years of Age - Research Proposal Example

Multiple Child-Care Arrangements and their effects on Behavioural Problems and Prosocial Behaviour in Children under 5 Years of Age. Rapid urbanization, changing social patterns in a multi ethnic society and working of both parents for economic sustenance have revolutionized the ways in which a family exists in the present era. The family is gradually disintegrating as a unit as people are slowly transforming into professionals with a high degree of propensity for individualism. Children are being reared from infancy in an environment where technological and social changes are beginning to exert a negative influence on their psyche. Single or no biologic parents at all during early infancy and later, have become the norms in society. This has resulted in a deep impact on the children’s psyche during the early developmental stages which can translate into personality disorders later in life. This study is designed to evaluate the effects of multiple child-care arrangements in practice in Britain on the social behaviour of children under the age of 5 years, as extrapolated from similar studies in other countries. Purpose The research is directed at evaluating the influence of child care facilities on the future cognitive ability and learning capabilities of children who are subject to stay longer at such institutions as compared to a normal family environs in a typical British household. ESRC is an organization which has consistently monitored child development processes in most parts of the twentieth century and the recent trends in the newer family structures need to be evaluated for their impact on future generations. Background Prosocial behaviour in children is governed by the strong influences exerted during the tender ages of infancy and early childhood by the immediate environment, exposure to visual and aural stimuli, and the behaviour patterns of those responsible for caring for the child, which may include parents or other caregivers. A strong association between the multitude of options exercised for child care arrangements, and social behaviour patterns in children is an already identified problem (Morrissey T.W., 2009). Multiple care arrangements during the first 15 months of life in a child profoundly affect attachment security, cognitive development and language comprehension as well language production (Tran & Weinraub, 2006). It was inferred that the quality of non maternal child care exerted a strong influence on the overall language scores at 15 months of age. Children’s behaviour outcomes were influenced by the composition of the care giving adults which had more positivity when actual family members were involved in contrast to the instances when non family adults were put in charge. Fluctuating care arrangements adversely affect the overall personality of the child, subsequent social competence in growing years and the feeling of well being in them (Schipper et al, 2004). The ethnic background, social interaction at the day care facility, participation in creative activities and the degree of attachment between the children and the care givers have a strong bearing on their future cognitive ability (Howes & Smith, 1995). Stability and multiplicity of caregivers are the two factors which either exert opposite effects or may act in conjunction depending upon the ways and means of their application at the grass root level and the manner of operation of other features of childcare (Tran & Weinraub,). The economic status of the family, mother’s employment status and the presence or absence of partner/husband at home are the various factors influencing the child outcome in terms of cognitive development, maternal attachment and ability to develop comprehension and production capabilities. A strong maternal influence and bonding with the child was found to be a better predictor of the future behaviour of children who were subject to the administration of quality child care facilities across United States (NICHD, 1998). Although parenting was recognized as the predominantly consistent predictor of children’s development than early child-care experience, higher quality care at centres predicted higher vocabulary scores and teacher-reported externalizing of problems (Belsky et al, 2007) Caregivers in more stable environments in terms of staffing and grouping were found to display lesser care giving behaviour as compared to organizations with more flexible patterns of staffing, but nevertheless were more effective in decreasing non compliant behaviour in children despite this drawback (Schipper et al, 2003). Other factors that may influence the child’ cognitive ability and future learning behaviour may not be attributable to child care facilities alone, as individual variations like age, sex, temperament and family background exert tremendous influence on the outcome of a child’s personality (Crockenberg, 2003). Child: Staff ratio is another vital factor which determines the course of events in any child care organization as individual attention and quick solution of any issues is possible at the right stage only if it is noticed at the right stage (NICHD, 2002). Main Research Questions The study will investigate the impacts of arrangement multiplicity, as distinguished from long-term child-care stability, on child development. The study will evaluate the association between changes in the number of concurrent, nonparent child-care arrangements and changes in young children’s behavioural outcomes in the United Kingdom, as reported by mothers as well as primary child-care providers, using within-child fixed effects models of Morrissey (2009) The impact of increases in the number of arrangements on increases in behaviour problems and decreases in prosocial behaviours. If an association between arrangement multiplicity and children’s behavioural outcomes is found, child gender, age, temperament, and primary child-care type and quality will be tested for their ability to moderate the relationship. The impact on young children due to their ethnicity, sex, temperament, family background in relation to multiple arrangements at child care centres. *Methodology – biggest sections Sample size: 80 families with children below one year in age and who avail the facilities of child care at local centres will be selected for the study by conducting telephonic interviews and studying the demographic patterns of a city. Questionnaire based study – for mothers/primary caregivers (mum, or mum substitute) and secondary caregivers (who provide the child care, nursery nurse/grandparent etc.). All children who are the focus of the questionnaires will be observed for a period of 5 years. Demographic data from ESRC will be gathered for selecting the families for this study. Care will be taken to select and identify uniform groups based on ethnicity, economic background, geographical location and the ability to participate in the study. Data will be gathered in the form of questionnaires to obtain subscales of the Child Behaviour Checklist, record of the care giving environment as observed at 15 months of age, cognitive scores at specific time durations, instances of breaks in child care, types of child care at specific intervals, number of reported nonmaternal child-care arrangements, implications due to child gender, temperament, ethnicity, maternal education at specific time intervals according to the previous study (Morrissey, 2009). Analyses will be performed using appropriate statistical tools to arrive at single estimates The study will include a subsample of children who regularly attend nonparent child care for at least 1 hr per week at 24 and 36 months of age. Children of both employed as well as unemployed mothers will be included in the sample with exclusion of children from traditional parent care environments. . Timescale Period of Study Parameter Duration Initial Identification of families Statistical Data 1 Month Evaluation of family Records Statistical Data 1 Month Finalization of Sample Families Statistical Data 10 Days Preparation of Questionnaires Qualitative Work 1 Month Initial Data Collection and Tabulation Statistical Record 15 Days Qualitative Evaluation Procedures Cognitive Ability, measurement of learnt abilities 3 Years Span at different age levels Sorting and Compilation of completed questionnaires record Statistical Analysis During as well at the end of data collection Final Analysis Analysis of Data by SPSS and Results At the culmination of study Ethical Considerations Parental consent will be obtained and the ethical considerations will be addressed by an appropriate authority. Minimal obtrusive procedures will be employed while gathering children data as well as during any evaluative exercise. References Belsky Jay , Vandell Deborah Lowe , Burchinal Irvine Margaret , Clarke-Stewart K. Alison , McCartney Kathleen & Owen Margaret Tresch, (2007), Are There Long-Term Effects of Early Child Care?, Child Development, Volume 78, Number 2, Pages 681 – 701 Crockenberg Susan C., (2003), Rescuing the Baby From the Bathwater: How Gender and Temperament (May) Influence How Child Care Affects Child Development functioning: A survey and observational study, Child Development, Volume 74, Number 4, Pages 1034–1038 Howes Carollee & Smith Ellen W., (1995), Relations Among Child Care Quality, Teacher Behavior, Children’s Play Activities, Emotional Security, and Cognitive Activity in Child Care, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 10, 381-404 Morrissey Taryn W., (2009), Multiple Child-Care Arrangements and Young Children’s Behavioural Outcomes, Child Development, Volume 80, Number 1, Pages 59 – 76 NICHD, (1998), Early Child Care and Self-Control, Compliance, and Problem Behavior at Twenty-Four and Thirty-Six Months, Child Development,Volume 69, Number 4, Pages 1145-1170 NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, (2002) Child-Care Structure Process Outcome: Direct and Indirect Effects of Child-Care Quality on Young Children’s Development, Research Article, Psychological Science, Vol. 13, No.3 Schipper J. Clasien De , Tavecchio Louis W.C. , IJzendoorn Marinus H. Van , Linting Mariëlle, (2003), The relation of flexible child care to quality of center day care and children’s socio-emotional, Infant Behavior & Development 26, 300–325 Schipper J. Clasien de , IJzendoorn Marinus H. Van , and Tavecchio Louis W. C., (2004), Stability in Center Day Care: Relations with Children’s Well-being and Problem Behavior in Day Care, Social Development, 13, 4 Tran Henry and Weinraub Marsha, (2006), Child Care Effects in Context: Quality, Stability, and Multiplicity in Nonmaternal Child Care Arrangements During the First 15 Months of Life, Developmental Psychology, Vol. 42, No. 3, 566–582 Read More