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Focus Group

NACCRRA conducted a series of 14 focus groups in seven cities across the nation to better understand what parents look for when they select child care, the difficulties they experience and compromises they make, and what in their mind constitutes quality care.

Through these focus groups, we learned that parents assumed that child care programs are inspected for health and safety standards, and that caregivers receive basic training before working with children, when the reality is otherwise. Parents think that standards for child care, such as health and safety standards, and the training of caregivers, should be mandated and enforced.

Parents prefer to place their children in child care programs where they can learn new skills through activities and interaction with other children, in a clean, safe and loving environment-but this type of care is often inaccessible to them.

• Full Report (2.4 MB)
• Report Summary (94 KB)
• Press Release (88 KB)