Examining Parental and Staff Perceptions of Childcare Service Quality Across Competing Business Structures
Abstract
This article explores parental and childcare staff perceptions of quality across alternative childcare governance structures in Australia. A total of 21 childcare staff currently working within both 'non-profit' and 'for-profit' long day care centres were interviewed. In addition, 20 interviews with parents of children attending community-based, independent-private and corporate chain centres were conducted. Significant differences between the quality perceptions of parent and staff cohorts were found. In addition, inter-group differences were also observed. The results tentatively suggest that both parents and staff attach ...
View more >This article explores parental and childcare staff perceptions of quality across alternative childcare governance structures in Australia. A total of 21 childcare staff currently working within both 'non-profit' and 'for-profit' long day care centres were interviewed. In addition, 20 interviews with parents of children attending community-based, independent-private and corporate chain centres were conducted. Significant differences between the quality perceptions of parent and staff cohorts were found. In addition, inter-group differences were also observed. The results tentatively suggest that both parents and staff attach importance to both structural (regulated and flexible)and procedural elements of childcare service delivery-although parental age and caregiver experience appear to moderate the levels of importance assigned to identified quality dimensions.
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View more >This article explores parental and childcare staff perceptions of quality across alternative childcare governance structures in Australia. A total of 21 childcare staff currently working within both 'non-profit' and 'for-profit' long day care centres were interviewed. In addition, 20 interviews with parents of children attending community-based, independent-private and corporate chain centres were conducted. Significant differences between the quality perceptions of parent and staff cohorts were found. In addition, inter-group differences were also observed. The results tentatively suggest that both parents and staff attach importance to both structural (regulated and flexible)and procedural elements of childcare service delivery-although parental age and caregiver experience appear to moderate the levels of importance assigned to identified quality dimensions.
View less >
Journal Title
Australian Journal of Early Childhood
Volume
35
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2010 Early Childhood Australia Inc. All Early Childhood Australia Inc. publications are protected by copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (as amended), all other rights are reserved and permission must be sought for such use. In all cases Early Childhood Australia Inc. must be acknowledged as the source when reproducing or quoting any part of an Early Childhood Australia publication.
Subject
Education systems
Specialist studies in education
Marketing management (incl. strategy and customer relations)
Applied and developmental psychology