1. Finding, Engaging, and Supporting FFN Child Care Douglas Powell Purdue University Prepared for The National Infant & Toddler Child Care Initiative @ ZERO TO THREE, a project of the Child Care Bureau December 2, 2008

2. What Are Our Starting Points? Understanding the quality of FFN care – Highly uneven across arrangements – Some studies offer negative portrayals of FFN – Other studies suggest there is as much variability within FFN care as there is within other types of care – Commonly-used measures of child care quality may not capture important attributes of FFN care

3. What Are Our Starting Points? Understanding unique dimensions of FFN care – Embedded in the caregiver’s extended family and friendship network (there is a history and a future of relationships) – Exceptionally close interpersonal ties

4. What Are Promising Ways to Find FFN Caregivers? Tailor outreach to local community: What works in one setting may not work in another Direct: Informal communications involving a trusted individual are superior to more impersonal communications such as fliers Indirect: Finding caregivers through families has been productive in some initiatives Relative caregivers are a distinct subgroup

5. What Are Promising Ways to Engage FFN Caregivers? Begin where caregivers are: Find out what they want – Focus groups, telephone interviews, observations Provide supports that are truly responsive – Trainings offered to licensed providers may appeal to some friend and neighbor caregivers – But, there is limited benefit in attempting to incorporate FFN caregivers into formal systems of child care training

6. What Works in Improving the Quality of FFN Care? We have “best guesses”; very little research Not a single best method: home visits, group formats, mobile vans, newsletters, videos – all have been well received A focus on quality of relationships is promising What caregivers value – Child care materials, equipment, information – Being recognized for the work they do

7. Where Do We Go From Here? Unpack the FFN population; tailor to subgroups Enhance agency platforms for working with FFN caregivers – Mission, resources, genuine commitment Support learning communities that share experiences of reaching FFN caregivers Improve community and policy awareness of the contributions and potential of FFN care Strengthen evaluation tools and methods

8. Contact Information powelld@purdue.edu Who’s Watching the Babies? Improving the Quality of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care available from ZERO to THREE Press www.zerotothree.org