Parenting quality is a much more important predictor of child development than type, quantity or quality of child care,” explains a backgrounder. Children fared better when their parents were more educated and wealthier, when they had books and play materials at home, and when they had “enhancing experiences” like going to the library. This was the same whether the child went to day care for thirty or more hours a week, or had a stay-at-home mother.
