THE MARKET FOR QUALITY CHILD CARE: SUPPLY, DEMAND, AND QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEMS (QRIS)

这项研究旨在通过探索QRIS是否正在促进公平和平等地获得高质量的医疗服务，为欧洲经委会的政策提供信息。具体地说，这项研究试图探索QRIS结构的跨州差异(例如，向提供者提供经济奖励，用于向家长宣传QRIS的方法)与以下方面的关系：(1)现有优质幼儿教育的供应；以及(2)家长对优质幼儿教育的需求。然后，这项研究将根据个人和社区的特点(例如低收入儿童的比例、少数族裔和/或移民家庭的密度)，审查QRIS组成部分与市场力量--幼儿教育的供应和父母对幼儿教育的需求--之间的关系是相似的还是不同的。由儿童和家庭管理局规划、研究和评价办公室(OPRE)资助的全国早期护理和教育调查将作为与优质幼儿教育的供求有关的变量的主要数据来源。利用这些数据，研究小组将进行一系列回归分析，包括一系列敏感性分析，以检查不同国家政策背景下QRIS组成部分与优质幼儿教育供需之间的关系。通过探索这些问题，这项研究旨在解决ACF致力于为地方、州和国家各级的决策者提供与正在进行的儿童保育质量改进相关的研究的承诺。

This study aims to inform ECE policy by exploring whether QRIS are promoting fair and equal access to high quality care. Specifically, this study seeks to explore how cross-state variation in the structure of QRIS (e.g., financial incentives offered to providers, methods used to promote public awareness of QRIS to parents) relates to: (1) the supply of quality ECE available; and (2) parents' demand for quality ECE. The study will then examine whether the relation between QRIS components and market forces - both the supply of ECE and parental demand for ECE - operate similarly or differently based on individual and community level characteristics (e.g., proportion of children who are low income, the density of minority and/or immigrant families). The National Survey of Early Care & Education (NSECE), funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), will serve as the key data source for variables related to the supply of and demand for quality ECE. With these data the study team will conduct a series of regression analyses, including a series of sensitivity analyses, to examine the relations between QRIS components and the supply and demand of quality ECE within different state policy contexts. By exploring these questions the study aims to address ACF's commitment to producing relevant research related to ongoing child care quality improvement for decision makers at the local, state, and national levels.