A multi-user multi-method evaluation of childcare facilities in the Netherlands Yvonne de Kort Eindhoven University of Technology The Netherlands Ine van Liempd & Ed Hoekstra AKTA The Netherlands

evaluation of childcare facilities 1300 companies child places

Research question Which spatial and physical building characteristics determine the quality of child care facilities? Building and playground Quality of child care facility Pedagogical aims & organizational characteristics

What is quality? Building Pedagogical aims & organizational characteristics Quality of child care facility Support activities Suited to users Children Staff Management Parents Science

Method: Facilities and participants 30 child care facilities: –25 day care centers (age 0-4) –14 after school centers (age 4-12) 286 staff members 192 children ASC 328 parents

Method: Measurements & Procedure Phase One –Analysis of building plans –Questionnaire for management Phase Two: questionnaires –Staff members: evaluation & use and behaviour –Parents: evaluation –Children: evaluation

Method: Measurements & Procedure Phase Three: site visit –Walk through with elaborate checklist –Interview with 2-3 staff members –Interview with manager

Challenges Diverse types of data: –quantitative –qualitative Various scales of analysis –centre –group

Results Eating & cooking Sleeping Bathroom activities Entering and leaving Playing inside Playing outside Staff activities Building layout Multifunctionality Physical well being

Playing inside: outcomes Type of groupMean sizeNo. of groups 0-2 yr old yr old yr old1222

General outcomes square meters - activity spots: amount zoning clustering groups indirectly: playing together less stress different groups: different outcomes

0 - 2 years: youngest groups more activityspots  playing together bigger spots  more ‘wandering’ zoning  safety

2-4 years: older groups activity spots  not correlated individual spots  less claims more square meters  less disturbance

0-4 years: mixed groups more privacy  more play age-differentiation  more cooperation more activity spots  more play  independence