Maybe it is a limitation of the methodology or maybe it is just not true, but the impression I have of the conclusions to draw from daycare research is: 1) that good daycare can provide positive benefits and 2) most daycare does not meet the standards of good daycare. As to conclusion 1, this would be a truism if it weren't for the operational definition of good daycare that includes small child/adult ratios, etc. As to conclusion 2, I think the adequacy of available daycare probably varies geographically and by SES. Also, since no one is randomly assigned to daycare, it will be almost impossible to tease out the actual effect although the variables we can think of and are able to measure could be partialled out of the correlation.
This doesn't really address the harm question but it is analogous to the question of the effects of divorce. Although divorce can have negative effects, researchers have moved on to the question of how to ameliorate the effects of divorce and what makes certain children more resilient. Rick Dr. Rick Froman Associate Professor of Psychology John Brown University 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (479) 524-7295 http://www.jbu.edu/academics/sbs/rfroman.asp --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
