The Institute's initial research on kith and kin child care, Neighborhood Child Care (view in PDF format) provided some insights into the challenges that kith and kin caregivers face and the kinds of support they wanted. A second study, Lessons Learned (view in PDF format) discussed the experiences of 13 local programs that used different approaches to meet caregivers' needs.
In 2000, the Institute for a Child Care Continuum began a multi-year project, Understanding Quality in Kith and Kin Child Care, to enhance the understanding of how family, friends, and neighbors who are legally exempt from regulation define quality in the care they provide to children and to develop an instrument to assess quality in kith and kin child care. The first phase of the study resulted in Doting on Kids (view in PDF format), findings from focus groups with caregivers about their perceptions of quality in the care they offer to children.
Based on the study findings, the Institute has developed the Child Care Assessment Tool for Relatives (CCAT-R), the first instrument to evaluate quality in care provided by relatives who are legally exempt from regulation. Intended to assess essential elements of child care quality, it includes observations of caregiver-child interactions, checklists for health and safety and materials, and a caregiver interview. A field test to validate the instrument will be completed by spring, 2004, when the CCAT-R will be available for public use.