The number of adults who are present to teach and care for your child and the other children who are playing, eating, and sleeping together in a group is known as the child-to-adult ratio.
In a child care center, a group of children is usually considered to be the children who are in the same classroom. In a family child care home, the group is all the children who are receiving care at any one time. The maximum number of children in a group is called the group size. Ratio and group size are two factors that are critical to your child’s health, safety, and development.
Low child-to-adult ratios and small group sizes help ensure that your child gets enough one-on-one attention from an adult who is available to take care of each child’s unique needs. This responsive caregiving is extremely important to your child’s social and emotional development, physical well-being, and overall learning.
This one-on-one attention helps children feel safe and secure and reduces feelings of being overwhelmed—for both children and adults. A smaller group size with enough trained adults present is easier to manage. Because adults are better able to watch and respond to a smaller group, children will be less likely to get injured or sick.
Ratio requirements vary by state and type of program. In general, the younger the children, the more trained adults should be present and the smaller the group size should be.
The following are some general recommendations from early childhood experts. Family child care homes most often care for mixed-age groups, which makes child-to-adult ratios and group sizes vary. However, smaller group sizes are always better because children receive more individual attention. Be sure to check your state’s requirements to learn more about groups with children of mixed ages and other requirements for programs in your state.
Infant (younger than 12 months) | 1 trained adult should not care for more than 3–4 infants | No more than 6–8 infants together in a group | 2 trained adults should always be present in a full group of 6–8 infants |
Young toddler (1–2 years) | 1 trained adult should not care for more than 3–6 young toddlers | No more than 6–12 young toddlers in a group or classroom | 2 trained adults should always be present in a full group of 6–12 young toddlers |
Older toddler (2–3 years) | 1 trained adult should not care for more than 4–6 older toddlers | No more than 8–12 older toddlers in a group or classroom | 2 trained adults should always be present in a full group of 8–12 older toddlers |
Preschooler (3–5 years) | 1 trained adult should not care for more than 6–10 preschoolers | No more than 12–20 preschoolers in a group or classroom | 2 trained adults should always be present in a full group of 12–20 preschoolers |
School age | 1 trained adult should not care for more than 10–12 school-age children | No more than 20–24 school-age children in a group or classroom | 2 trained adults should always be present in a full group of 20–24 school-age children |
Abstract
This article provides national estimates from the December 1984 Current Population Survey of the number of school-age children who, in the past four weeks, had been in self-care or in the care of a sibling or other person under the age of 14 either before school, after school, or at night. A logit model is then used to analyze, first, the use of nonparental care and, second, the choice of self-care for their children by parents who use non-parental care. The results suggest that self-care is more likely to be used by middle- and upper-income white mothers living in suburban or rural areas, with no other adults in the household, for older children, and for only a short time each day, than by other mothers.
Journal Information
The Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), published by the National Council on Family Relations, is the leading research journal in the family field and has been so for over sixty years. JMF features original research and theory, research interpretation and reviews, and critical discussion concerning all aspects of marriage, other forms of close relationships, and families. The Journal also publishes book reviews. Contributors to JMF come from a diversity of fields including anthropology, demography, economics, history, psychology, and sociology, as well as interdisciplinary fields such as human development and family sciences. JMF publishes original theory and research using the variety of methods reflective of the full range of social sciences, including quantitative, qualitative, and multimethod designs. Integrative reviews as well as reports on methodological and statistical advances are also welcome. JMF is issued quarterly, in February, May, August, and November of each year. Each issue averages 284 pages in length. World wide, its circulation is more than 6,200 copies.
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For over sixty-four years National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) has linked multi-disciplinary family professionals through its journals, conferences, state affiliate councils, and special interest sections. NCFR is non-profit, nonpartisan and fully member-funded. Researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers from all family fields and disiplines share knowledge and information about families. NCFR was founded in 1938. NCFR's Mission: The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) provides a forum for family researchers, educators, and practitioners to share in the development and dissemination of knowledge about families and family relationships, establishes professional standards, and works to promote family well-being.
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