THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, February 7, 1995              TAG: 9502070305
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                         LENGTH: Medium:   62 lines

MOST DAY CARE IS MEDIOCRE, STUDY FINDS IN THE STATES STUDIED - INCLUDING NORTH CAROLINA - ONE IN SEVEN CENTERS PROVIDES HIGH-QUALITY CHILD CARE, THE REPORT SAYS.

The quality of most day-care centers is so poor that it interferes with the emotional and intellectual development of thousands of young children, according to a four-state study released Monday.

The study of day-care facilities in California, Colorado, Connecticut and North Carolina found that most of them are mediocre and do not meet the children's needs for health, safety, warm relationships and learning. Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to poor-quality care.

``Babies in poor-quality rooms are vulnerable to more illness because basic sanitary conditions are not met for diapering and feeding; are endangered because of safety problems that exist in the room; miss warm, supportive relationships with adults; and lose out on learning because they lack the books and toys required for physical and intellectual growth,'' said the study, which was conducted by researchers at four universities.

Ten million children under the age of 5 are cared for by someone other than a parent, according to the federal government. The study found that one in five of these children are in a center-based program.

Only one in seven centers, however, provides good quality care that encourages a child's healthy development, the report said. At one in eight, the children's health and safety are threatened.

The study comes as Congress considers welfare reforms that will heighten demand for child care as more single mothers are pushed from welfare to the work force.

Rep. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., whose hearings last year revealed quality shortcomings in child care, said centers that don't address the learning and developmental needs of children ``very often are little more than warehouses.''

``The ability to get it right is going to be fundamental to welfare reform,'' Wyden said.

The study took 2 1/2 years and was conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado at Denver, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of North Carolina and Yale University.

The researchers studied 400 day-care centers, evenly divided between for-profit and nonprofit programs, in California, Colorado, Connecticut and North Carolina.

All of the centers were state-licensed. A total of 228 infant-toddler classrooms and 521 preschool classrooms were studied.

Funded by several foundations, the research involved classroom observation, individual assessments of 826 children, on-site interviews with center directors, and questionnaires by center staff, directors, teachers and parents. The study cost $1 million.

The researchers said child care for infants and toddlers is of particular concern. Of the infant and toddler classrooms observed, only 8 percent were considered good quality while 40 percent were rated less than minimal. The rest were mediocre.

KEYWORDS: DAY CARE CENTERS STUDY CHILD CARE by CNB