What do parents want from day care services? Perspectives from Australia

A total of 100 parents in 15 Day Care (DC) in Sydney, Australia were survey ed to obtain their views about the different roles of care and education in DC services. Both parents with children under 3 years old and parents with children 3 and above expected a substantial component of education in thei r child's DC program. Both groups of parents expected both care and educati on for their children, and expected a reasonable level of professionalism a nd qualifications in the staff. These results challenge assumptions about c are for infants and education for older children. Policy makers need to att end to parents' needs and wishes and should be aware of the important value of human resources investment through improved DC services. (C) 2001 Elsev ier Science Inc. All rights reserved.