The goal of the Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study was to examine full-day, year-round, community-based center care for preschool-age children (2.9 years to 5 years) and for infants and toddlers, pre-k classrooms in the public schools and family child care programs.
This study was jointly funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Child Care Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of the Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study was to examine full-day, year-round, community-based center care for preschool-age children (2.9 years to 5 years) and for infants and toddlers, pre-k classrooms in the public schools and family child care programs.
This study addressed the following research questions:
- What is the quality of early child care and education services in Massachusetts?
- What are the costs of early child care and education services?
- What is the relationship between quality and costs? Does it cost more to provide higher quality care?
- What is the relationship between the family income of children served and the quality of care provided by early child care and education programs?
In 1999-2000, we observed 90 preschool classrooms and interviewed directors about the costs of providing care. The report (including an executive report in PDF format) on preschool classrooms was released in January 2002. In 2001-2002, we observed 200 infant/toddler classrooms and interviewed directors about costs. The report on infant/toddler classrooms is now available.
Read information for parents on ways to identify high quality preschool programs.
The Cost and Quality of Full Day, Year-Round Early Care and Education in Massachusetts: Preschool Classrooms. Click here for executive summary (PDF), or full report.
In 2001, we observed a random sample of 203 licensed family child care homes and interviewed providers about the costs of providing family child care and their experiences as family child care providers. The report on family child care is now available.
This report addresses the following topics:
- The family child care workforce in Massachusetts: who provides family child care, working conditions for providers, providers' motivations and goals;
- The quality of the early care and education children receive in family child care homes: how we define quality in family child care homes, the observed quality of family child care, which characteristics of homes and providers are related to quality;
- The cost of early care and education in family child care homes: revenue sources, estimated wages of providers adjusted for costs, the relation between cost and quality.
The Massachusetts Study of Public School-Administered Early Care and Education
This study is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education to examine the quality of the early care and education received by three- to five-year-olds attending preschool in public-school administered programs. In 2000-2001, we observed 95 preschool classrooms around the state. The report on public-school administered programs is now available in PDF format (649 MB).
This study addressed the following research questions:
- What is the quality of the early childhood education received by children attending public school preschools?
- What are the factors associated with higher quality early childhood education in public school preschools?
