3.2 Findings from Growing Up in Ireland Cohort 08 at age 3 years21F
Some key findings from Cohort 08 at age 3 years (Williams et al., 2013) regarding
early learning and care are listed below:
22 Subsequent references to ‘Cohort 08 at 3’ relate to the Growing Up in Ireland study unless otherwise specified
•For Cohort 08 in 2011, half of all 3-year-olds were in some form of nonparental childcare. Just over a quarter of children (27%) were cared for in a crèche, Montessori, pre-school or naoínra (an Irish-language playgroup for preschool children), 11% were cared for by a relative in a home-based setting and 12% were cared for by a non-relative in a home-based setting.
•Parents who were working, those with higher educational qualifications, and from more advantaged social class backgrounds were more likely to be availing of non-parental childcare for their 3-year-old.
•Looking at trends from age 9 months to 3 years for Cohort 08, the proportion of children in non-parental childcare increased from 39% to 50%. Most of the change could be accounted for by those who transitioned from parental care (at 9 months) to centre-based care; just under a third of children were cared for in centre-based care at age 3, almost three times the proportion at nine months.
•Three-year-olds spent an average of 23 hours per week in childcare across all main types of non-parental childcare. Children cared for by non-relative childminders spent the most time on average in childcare, and the greatest cost for childcare provision was incurred for these types of childcare providers. More than 60% of relatives who provided care did not receive any financial remuneration.
•The average hourly expenditure on childcare was €4.50 per hour, but this varied across type of childcare, being highest for those using non-relative care in the parental home (e.g. au-pair, childminder), at €5.70 per hour, and lowest for those who had a relative care for the child in the relative’s home, at €3.65 per hour (discounting those who did not have to pay a relative for childcare).
•There were high levels of parental satisfaction with the quality of childcare provided; more than 90% of parents endorsed positive statements about environmental characteristics (e.g. availability of toys, books, etc) and programme characteristics (e.g. learning objectives).
•In terms of gross motor development, the mean age for a child taking their first step was 13 months, but considerable variation was reported. Children who played physically active games more often with someone at home tended to have better gross motor skills (pedalling a tricycle, throwing a ball overhand, etc.).
•Most children were able to use a pencil and play with small objects such as jigsaw pieces. Having someone at home to engage the child in activities that required fine motor skills such as painting and drawing appeared to foster these abilities.
3.3 Topics from Comparable Studies
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