Abstract

This study compared the child care selection criteria valued by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan mothers and fathers and the relations between these selection criteria and the quality ofthe child care in which their children were enrolled. Parents indicated the importance of a set of child care selection criteria, and trained observers assessed the quality oftheir children's child care environments. Metropolitan families gave more weight to daily programming and less weight to friends' recommendations than did nonmetropolitan families; metropolitan and nonmetropolitan parents did not differ in the importance they accorded health and safety practices, practical considerations. and provider warmth. Both groups ofparents were similar in the rank-ordering ofchild care selection criteria. from provider warmth as most important to friends' recommendations as the least important. Finally, significant correlations between child care selection criteria and the independently observed quality of the programs indicated that valuing of daily programming was associated with higher quality and valuing offriends' recommendations was associated with lower quality of care.

How to Cite:

Ispa, J. M., Thornburg, K. R. & Barkley, J. V., (1998) “Parental Child Care Selection Criteria and Program Quality in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Communities”, Journal of Research in Rural Education 14(1), 3–14.

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