Author(s): Harry McGurk; Ann Mooney; Peter Moss; Thomas Coram Research Unit Staff

Administration and Management

The need for a review of staff: child ratios in early childhood care has arisen from a number of policy concerns - for example, why do some local authorities, when registering daycare services for young children, use different ratios from those which have been recommended? Why are different ratios applied to children of the same age in daycare settings compared to those in education services? Underlying these concerns are also issues linked to quality and cost, as staffing is of critical importance in determining the performance of services. In this report the research literature on staff: child ratios is reviewed, covering the range of day care and education services referred to in the Children Act. The report covers research and also information on recommended ratios from a range of countrie