Impact of day care on the child.

In the world of day-care research, the status of our knowledge is sufficiently shaky that we must continue to keep an open mind about the service. The knowledge base is growing rapidly, but the conceptual structure that supports it is flimsy and insubstantial. Fortunately, current research efforts are improving this situation. Regardless of whether we like or dislike day care, it is, like the family, here to stay. That realization alone should strengthen our resolve not to compromise on the type of service we create. We have to continue to identify parameters of quality and become good matchmakers in terms of child care, family, and child characteristics. Through such efforts, a network of educare programs that will foster favorable development in children can become a national and global reality.