“From Budding First Words to Blossoming Minds” Shaping Child Development Through Early Childcare in Aotearoa New Zealand

<p dir="ltr">A substantial body of literature supports the idea that investment into early childcare, such as daycare and preschool, promotes child development. However, the extent and nature of early childcare’s impact on development is debated due to varying methodologies and contexts across studies. Within Aotearoa New Zealand, there is surprisingly little evidence of the association between early childcare and child development. This lack of evidence means it is unknown whether early childcare supports development for all who attend, and/or whether the effects differ by ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Furthermore, while there is extensive international research on the direct association between early childcare and child development, there is less evidence as to whether early childcare indirectly supports development through other facets of the child’s environment, such as promoting family processes, which may, in turn, directly promote development.</p><p dir="ltr">This thesis leverages longitudinal data from the Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) study to measure: (1) the experiences of childcare across the early life course in Aotearoa New Zealand, with childcare divided into three types (centre-based, home-based, and non-formal care); (2) the association between childcare and child development up to age 54 months; (3) whether childcare is associated with family processes, which in turn, are associated with child development; (4) whether associations between childcare and development differ by ethnicity or socioeconomic status; and, (5) how childcare trajectories measured across the early life course are associated with child development at 54 months and later at age 8 years. The analysis of the association between these childcare trajectories and child development in this thesis is a novel approach, facilitated through use of longitudinal data, which has not hitherto been analysed in a similar manner either in this country or internationally.</p><p dir="ltr">Results show that early childcare (i.e. centre-based and home-based care, each of which involves certification) was mostly associated with better development outcomes among children at 2 years and 54 months, compared to children in non-formal care. These differences included: (1) those in centre-based care at 2 years performed better on language development at 2 years; (2) those in either centre- or home-based care at 2 years had fewer internalising behaviours at 2 years; (3) those in either centre- or home-based care at 54 months had fewer internalising behaviours at 54 months. Additionally, children in centre-based care had, on average, better scores in school readiness and fewer externalising behaviours at 54 months, compared to those in home-based care. However, not all early childcare experiences were associated with positive outcomes, with those in home-based care at 54 months having more externalising behaviours in comparison to those in non-formal care. </p><p dir="ltr">When looking at the associations between childcare, family processes and child development, there was no evidence that early childcare indirectly promotes development through declines in maternal depressive symptoms at 54 months. There was evidence that children’s ethnicity or socioeconomic status can either strengthen or weaken the association between early childcare and development for disadvantaged groups.</p><p dir="ltr">Lastly, the childcare trajectories found that more years spent in centre-based care was associated with fewer internalising behaviours at 54 months but more externalising behaviours at both 54 months and 8 years. There were no statistical differences across the different trajectories in relation to the remaining child development constructs which included language development, school readiness, and prosocial behaviours at 54 months and internalising and prosocial behaviours at 8 years.</p><p dir="ltr">Overall, my thesis provides a better understanding of early childcare’s role in shaping early life development. There is evidence that early childcare does have short-term benefits towards child development however, the trajectories analysis reveal these benefits are not present later in the child’s life. If the goal of early childcare in Aotearoa New Zealand is to improve child development, then these results do raise interesting questions about how early childcare can be optimised to ensure lasting benefits. It highlights the need for policy to consider not only the types of care provided but also how early childcare interacts with the child’s broader environment, such as family processes. As early childcare continues to evolve, future research should investigate these complexities to inform practices that truly enhance development outcomes for all children, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds</p>