Guidance Note : Essential Elements of Quality in Childcare Settings

Overview & Synopsis

This note provides guidance on how to ensure the quality of childcare delivered in different settings including daycares, nurseries, home-based childcare, creches, and preschools. It outlines the basic elements of quality needed across all programs, focusing on key principles that can be flexibly implemented in different contexts and with varying resource levels (as opposed to restrictive standards, which may not be feasible in all contexts). The following questions are addressed: (i) why does childcare quality matter? (ii) what are the most essential aspects of quality in childcare settings to ensure that children are in safe and stimulating environments? (iii) What should you look for when visiting a childcare setting? (iv) what are the essential system elements needed to ensure and improve quality? and (iv) what should be prioritized in the short term to improve quality? This note is intended to guide World Bank and UNICEF teams, governments and other key stakeholders.