Accuracy of parental perceptions about licensed child care in Canada

Regulation of child care centres and home environments benefits children by setting standards for such things as child safety, child to caregiver ratios, and caregiver education and training which are all key elements in providing high quality care. In contrast, unregulated child care is of unknown quality and does not necessarily conform to provincial regulations and standards other than a maximum number of children in care, which itself is irregularly monitored. Surveys of child care use generally rely on parental report of regulatory status; however, the accuracy of parental reports is unknown. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the accuracy of parental reporting of the licensed status of child care including child care centres as well as child care homes where the regulatory status may be less apparent.