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UW-Madison education professor Deborah Vandell and colleagues have determined that the quality of nonmaternal care children receive is associated with children's cognitive competence and social competence. That is, better trained caregivers were observed to have better interactions with children, and lower child-to-caregiver ratios seemed to lead to more positive interactions.

The study provides the first empirical evidence of a mediated path from the structure of child care settings to child outcomes. It therefore provides support for policies that establish higher standards for caregiver training and child-staff ratios.

For more information, visit Vandell's project Web site www.wcer.wisc.edu/childcare/.