The Director as Key

A recent research report by the Urban Institute, “Understanding Quality in Context: Child Care Centers, Communities, Markets, and Public Policy,” recommends that policy makers “focus more on directors’ leadership skills and belief systems when shaping efforts to support quality.”  The report concluded….

“The ability of child care center directors to produce good care is shaped by different contextual factors ranging from a director’s leadership style, management skills, and belief system to parent demand, labor supply, public funding and standards, and access to resources.  While the confluence of external factors can make it extremely challenging for directors facing multiple obstacles, a wide range of strategies might be considered as policymakers seek to support higher quality programming.  To improve the quality of the largest number of programs, it is important that initiatives take a comprehensive — and a flexible and individualized — approach.  The directors with whom we spoke were clearly all committed to doing their best to support children and families.  Initiatives to support early care and education can build on this fundamental strength.”

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