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The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment: Defining and measuring quality: An in-depth study of five child care quality rating and improvement systems [Executive summary]
United States. Administration for Children and Families. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, August, 2011
(OPRE Report 2011-29). Washington, DC: U.S. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.

A summary of an examination of aspects of child care quality rating and improvement systems related to definitions and measures of quality, including variation in definitions and measures, processes to measure each component and determine the overall level of quality, and availability of data on quality ratings, based on in-depth case studies in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee

Executive Summary

The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment: Measuring quality across three child care quality rating and improvement systems: Findings from secondary analyses [Executive summary]
United States. Administration for Children and Families. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, August, 2011
(OPRE Report 2011-30). Washington, DC: U.S. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.

A summary of a study of the prevalence of quality components among participating child care quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) providers and their relationship to observed quality, based on analyses of QRIS administrative data, professional development registries, and observation data in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Illinois, and Tennessee

Executive Summary

Do neighborhood and home contexts help explain why low-income children miss opportunities to participate in activities outside of school?
Dearing, Eric, November/December 2009
Developmental Psychology, 45(6), 1545-1562

An examination of the role of children's neighborhood and home environments in the link between income disparities and participation rates in activities outside of elementary school, based on data collected from 1,420 children as part of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Child Development Supplement

Reports & Papers

Examining the Effects of Subsidy Eligibility on Parent Employment, Child Care Arrangements and Children’s Development
Caronongan, Pia, 2007
Harvard University

Federal law limits eligibility of child care subsidy receipt to a maximum of 85% of a state's median income, but states may choose to set thresholds below this level. As a result, there is a substantial amount of variation in the thresholds states set and variation within states over time. This variation in eligibility is used in the present study to predict changes in parent employment, child care arrangements and child outcomes. Specifically, this project examines the impact of eligibility for child care subsidies, as determined by state income eligibility thresholds, on parents' labor force participation and child care choices. In addition, the study investigates whether the change in child care and parent employment experiences by eligible families has subsequent effects on child behavior and school readiness. Measures include: Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) State Plans; National Household Education Survey (NHES); National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Administration for Children and Families/OPRE Projects

Informing the performance-based contract between First 5 LA and LAUP: Assessing child progress: Spring report [Executive summary]
Xue, Yange, 10 December, 2010
Los Angeles: First 5 LA.

A summary of a study of children's development from fall to spring in the Los Angeles Universal Preschool program and an examination of the validity of teacher-administered child assessments, based on a full battery of direct child assessments and brief teacher-administered assessments for a sample of 875 children

Executive Summary

What are kids getting into these days?: Demographic differences in youth out-of school time participation
Wimer, Christopher, 2006
Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project.

A study of the demographic characteristics that predict out-of-school youth program participation

Reports & Papers