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Países Bajos
To investigate the effects of child–caregiver ratio on the quality of caregiver–child interaction in child-care centers, 217 caregivers (ages 18–56 years) from 64 child care centers were observed during two structured play episodes: one with a group of three children and one with a group of 5 children. As predicted, a child–caregiver ratio of 3:1 produced a significantly higher quality of caregiver–child interaction than a ratio of 5:1 and particularly for younger children. Significant and meaningful effects were found for both the interactive behaviors of the caregivers and the children's well-being and cooperation. Significant correlations with caregiver–child interaction during lunchtime and throughout the remainder of the morning confirmed the ecological validity of the caregiver–child interactions observed during structured play episodes.
