FAMILY DAY CARE (FDC) IS a distinctive form of child care chosen by many Australian families. However, there appears to be little empirical research on FDC conducted in Australia. The aim of this study was to systematically review the recent published literature on FDC research in Australia, assess its quality, and identify pertinent topics for future research. FDC research has been conducted on topics such as use and cost of care, aspects of child and caregiver health, and nutrition and physical activity. Studies were generally quantitative and descriptive, with a notable lack of intervention studies. Small sample size and limited analysis of FDC data were the two major issues compromising the quality of the studies. Overall, there is great potential to increase the amount of research on FDC in Australia, and improve its quality. Important topics requiring further research include the effect of training on the caregiver, and the social and emotional wellbeing of children and educators.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Child Care: 4402.0.Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Commonwealth of Australia.
2.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). Child Care: 4402.0.Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Commonwealth of Australia.
3.
BondL., NolanT. & LesterR. (1999). Immunisation uptake, services required and government incentives for users of formal day care. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 23(4), 368–376.
4.
BowesJ. (2004). Child Care Choices: A Longitudinal Study of Children, Families and Child Care in Partnership with Policy Makers. Australian Educational Researcher, 31 (3), 69–86.
5.
BowesJ. (2003). Continuity of care in the early years? Multiple and changeable child care arrangements in Australia. Family Matters, 64, 30–35.
6.
Boyd IngramH. (2000). Literacy contexts in family day care. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 25(3), 19–24.
7.
BravoA., CassY. & TranterD. (2008). Good food in family day care: Improving nutrition and food safety in family day care. Nutrition & Dietetics, 65(1), 47–55.
8.
BromerJ. & HenlyJ. R. (2009). The work–family support roles of child care providers across settings. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24, 271–288.
9.
DanielsL. L., FrancoB. & McWhinnieJ. (2003). An assessment of the potential of Family Day Care as a nutrition promotion setting in South Australia. Nutrition & Dietetics, 60(1), 30–37.
10.
DavidsonL. (1994). Do family day carers want formal training?Rattler, 31, 4–5, 7.
11.
DavisE., (2011). An International Perspective on Regulated Family Day Care Systems. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (submitted).
12.
Family Day Care Australia (FDCA) (2008). Submission to the Commonwealth Senate Inquiry into the provision of child care.Gosford, NSW: Family Day Care Australia.
13.
Family Day Care Australia (FDCA). (2009). National Scheme Information (unpublished).
14.
HandK. (2005). Mothers' views on using formal child care. Family Matters, 70, 10–17.
15.
HarrisonL. & UngererJ. A. (1997). Infant–mother attachment relationships and the experience of child care. Every Child, 3(2), 8–9.
16.
HarrisonS., SaundersV. & NowakM. (2007). Baseline survey of sun-protection knowledge, practices and policy in early childhood settings in Queensland, Australia. Health education research, 22(2), 261.
17.
HayesC., PalmerJ. & ZaslowM. (1990). Who cares for America's children?: child care policy for the 1990s.National Academies Press.
18.
JuchnowskiM. (1995). Homebased child care: a profession not just a job. Children Australia, 20(4), 20–22.
19.
KapsalakisA., MordaR. & ClydeM. (2000). Children's Services in Rural and Remote Areas: An Australian Perspective. Canadian Children, 25(Access to Services), 13–16.
20.
KeleherH. & ArmstrongR. (2005). Evidence-based mental health promotion resource.Melbourne: Report for the Department of Human Services and VicHealth.
21.
KontosS., HowesC. & GalinskyE. (1996). Does training make a difference to quality in family child care?Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11 (4), 427–445.
22.
LoveJ. (2003). Child care quality matters: How conclusions may vary with context. Child Development, 74(4), 1021–1033.
23.
McInnesE., WardC. & KnightD. (2010) Family Day Care Providers' Occupational Health and Safety. Journal of Health Society and Environment, 26(5), 403–412.
24.
McNamaraJ. (2006). Trends in child care use and cost between 1999 and 2002+. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 9(2), 125–146.
25.
MillwardC. (1996). Explaining patterns of urban child care. Family Matters (43), 12–17.
O'ConnorJ. P. & TempleV. A. (2005). Constraints and facilitators for physical activity in family day care. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 30(4), 1–9.
28.
RiethmullerA., (2009). Developing an active play resource for a range of Australian early childhood settings: Formative findings and recommendations. Australisian Journal of Early Childhood, 34(1), 43–52.
29.
SaggersS. (1999). I Love Children, and Four-pence a Week Is Four-pence!: Contradictions of Caring in Family Day Care. Journal of Family Studies, 5(1), 69–83.
30.
SagiA. (2002). Shedding further light on the effects of various types and quality of early child care on infant–mother attachment relationship: The Haifa study of early child care. Child Development, 73(4), 1166–1186.
31.
Slack-SmithL. M. (2006). Health of caregivers in child care. Child Care Health and Development, 32(1), 111–119.
32.
Slack-SmithL. M., ReadA. W. & StanleyF. J. (1998). The use of medication in children attending childcare in Western Australia. J Paediatr Child Health, 34(2), 183–187.
33.
Slack-SmithL. M., ReadA. W. & StanleyF. J. (2002a). Experience of respiratory and allergic illness in children attending childcare. Child Care Health and Development, 28(2), 171–177.
34.
Slack-SmithL. M., ReadA. W. & StanleyF. J. (2002b). A prospective study of absence for illness and injury in childcare children. Child Care Health and Development, 28(6), 487–494.
35.
Slack-SmithL. M., ReadA. W. & StanleyF. J. (2004). Absence from childcare for respiratory illness. Child Care Health and Development, 30(1), 29–37.
36.
TempleV. & O'ConnorJ. (2004). Family day care environments and physical activity. ACHPER Healthy Lifestyles Journal, 51 (4), 12–17.
37.
WiseS. (2002). Parents' Expectations, Values and Choice of Child Care: Connections to Culture. Family Matters, 55, 48–55.
