Predictors of Quality Caregiving in the "Family Child Care Partnerships" Home Visitation Program

Abstract

The primary focus of this study is to describe the Family Child Care Partnerships (FCCP) program and examine the possible relations among key features and processes of the FCCP training program in an attempt to identify predictors associated with quality caregiving for program participants. Participants in this study included 203 family child care providers in Alabama and 15 of the home visitors (mentors) working with them. Providers were observed by their mentors during their first month of participation in the program and quarterly thereafter for purposes of collecting quality care information as assessed using the Family Day Care Rating Scale (Harms & Clifford, 1989) and the Caregiver Interaction Scale (Arnett, 1989). Providers and mentors completed demographics surveys as well as a modification of the Helping Relationships Inventory (Young & Poulin, 1998). Each provider was also assigned a rating for accreditation status. Hypothesized models were tested to determine the causal relationships among the study variables. A direct-effects model predicting provider accreditation status was the only plausible model fitted which met all conventional model fit tests.