Early Child-Care Experiences and Children's Social Competence Between 11/2 and 15 Years of Age

The primary purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the effects of early child-care experiences on children's social development between 11/2 and 15 years of age. A subsample of 52 children was selected from the Goteborg Child Care study. These children were selected because they were continuously enrolled in out-of-home care from 11/2 to 31/2 years of age. The first assessment was conducted prior to children's enrollment in out-of-home care and these children were followed over a 14-year period. Prior to 31/2 years of age, the amount of time spent in care and the quality of home and out-of-home care shaped the children's social skills. Individual differences in social competence with peers, as observed in out-of-home care settings, then began to stabilize. Thus, early child-care experiences appeared to influence social competence by fostering individual differences that remained stable through childhood and early adolescence.