The Prevalence of Behavior Problems in Toddlers in Child Care.

A random sample of 95 toddlers in day care was rated by parents on the Child Behavior Checklist/2-3 (CBCL/2-3). Toddlers received nonparental care an average of 33 hours per week and the majority began day care by 5 months of age. The sample consisted of middle-class toddlers in medium-size cities in Connecticut. Day care was from relatives, sitters, licensed and unlicensed family day care homes, and day care centers. Although no comparison group was used, scores of the CBCL/2-3 for the present sample were compared to scores for the CBCL/2-3 normative sample and to prevalence rate in the literature for children in day care. Fewer children with behavior problems were found in the present sample than in the normative group. It is concluded that contextual factors of family, child care, and social support should be seriously considered before suggesting deleterious effects from early nonparental care. More research is needed to understand how complex variables are associated with the development of young children. Contains 18 references. (LB)