Toddlers in Dutch center- and home-based care Socio-emotional development from childcare to kindergarten

Previous studies have reported significant temperament X quality of childcare effects on children’s development. Extending this line of research, we tested the interaction effect of children’s temperament (Hypothesis-1a) and high sensitivity (1b) X type of childcare (center- vs. home-based care) on socio-emotional functioning and executive functioning. In a longitudinal, multi-informant study we followed children’s development in Dutch center-based care and home-based care (N= 228 children from 75 locations, 154 attending center-based, 74 home-based) at 2.5, 3.5 years and a final wave when children had entered kindergarten at 4.3 years (T1, T2, and T3, respectively). A mixed model analysis of the longitudinal data at T2 showed significant relationships between toddlers’ temperament and their socio-emotional development, controlling for baseline scores at T1 and characteristics at child (age, gender, quantity of childcare), family (income, parental stress) and childcare level (working experience). Analysis of findings in kindergarten (T3) showed that surgency predicted lower levels of wellbeing in kindergarten. Our findings highlight the importance of close caregiver-child relationships with little conflict, whereas dependency was a risk factor in center-based care.