How attending a daycare centre affects a child’s development

This research review has been commissioned by the Danish National Federation of Early Childhood Teachers and Youth Educators. It provides an overview of the most recent Danish and international research results concerning daycare centres and kindergartens as well as perspectives on previous research in this area. This review can therefore be seen as a follow-up to the 2002 SFI publication: Effects of daycare and kindergarten - a review of national and international research results.
This report deals with how differences in the quality of the daycare centre or kindergarten can affect a child’s cognitive, emotional and social development. Among other things the report accounts for how high-quality daycare in terms of a good child-adult ratio, staff with a relevant professional background, enough space, good hygiene, stimulating activities and good contact between institution and home are beneficial to the child’s development cognitively, socially and emotionally as well as the child’s physical wellbeing, both in the short and long term. Children become more intelligent, confident and curious with regard to learning, and are therefore better prepared for school and later do better at school.
In particular it has been documented that children from vulnerable families do much better if they have attended a high-quality daycare centre or kindergarten. They are less likely to become criminal, they get a higher education, earn more and are in better health. Society also stands to gain by investing in high-quality childcare.