A multi-user multi-method evaluation of childcare

facilities in the Netherlands

Yvonne de KortEindhoven University of

TechnologyThe Netherlands

Ine van Liempd & Ed Hoekstra

AKTAThe Netherlands

evaluation of childcare facilities

• 1300 companies• 185.000 child places

Research question

Which spatial and physical building characteristics determine the quality of child

care facilities?

Building and playground

Quality ofchild care

facility

Pedagogicalaims &

organizational characteristics

What is quality?

Building

Pedagogicalaims &

organizational characteristics

Quality ofchild care

facility

Supportactivities

Suited tousers

• 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 group Mean size No. of groups

0-2 yr old 10 21

2-4 yr old 14 22

0-4 yr old 12 22

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