Unlocking Quality Enhancement in Nova Scotia’s Family Home Child Care Programs by Understanding the Key Role of Family Home Child Care Consultants
| dc.contributor.author | Crocker, Cheryl | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-09-09T15:30:56Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-09-09T15:30:56Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-09 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Family home child care is an integral but under-studied part of Nova Scotia’s early learning and child care system. While there is a substantial body of literature on the topic of quality in regulated child care, most of this literature focuses on child care centres. The differences between quality in child care centres and quality in family home child care are not yet well understood. Recognizing that the early childhood educators who work as family home child care consultants are adult educators who play a pivotal role in supporting quality in family home child care, this study contributes to the discourse around what quality means in family home child care. Possibilities for the provision of targeted professional development for family home child care consultants who work in a mentorship and supervision role with care providers who are often untrained in early childhood education are also considered. Using a critical feminist perspective, this qualitative study included interviews and focus groups to explore the following research questions: 1) What does quality mean to family home child care consultants? 2) What is the connection between the role of family home child care consultants and quality in family home child care? 3)How are family home child care consultants prepared for working in a role that provides both supervisory support and regulatory oversight? Data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Key findings were that consultants view themselves as pedagogical leaders and value having time to spend building relationships with care providers. Quality was defined by the consultants as being a “safe, responsive, nurturing, inclusive environment that is welcoming to all families.” There is currently no training specific to the role of family home child care consultants in Nova Scotia. The consultants who participated in this research advocated for the introduction of consistent training for family home child care consultants that would prepare them for their role as a mentor, coach, supervisor, and pedagogical leader for family home child care providers. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ec.msvu.ca/handle/10587/2357 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Mount Saint Vincent University | |
| dc.title | Unlocking Quality Enhancement in Nova Scotia’s Family Home Child Care Programs by Understanding the Key Role of Family Home Child Care Consultants | |
| dc.type | Thesis |