In search of quality: A journey for family day care

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of The Quality Journey/He Haerenga Whai Hua (Ministry of Education, 2000b) in constructing definitions of quality as representatives from a family day care network engaged in a professional development course. Nine coordinators, 2 management representatives and 13 caregivers participated in focus group interviews before and after the course. In addition, the participants met as cluster groups to engage in a quality review as part of the course. Their discussions form the basis of the study, and are supported by researcher reflections in relation to the construction of quality and the process of The Quality Journey/He Haerenga Whai Hua. The data collected were sorted and categorised using Nvivo 3.0 to present the way quality was constructed as participants engaged in the review process using The Quality Journey/He Haerenga Whai Hua. Results showed that whilst there were areas of consensus in constructions surrounding structural aspects of quality there were also several areas of conflicting aspects of quality that co-existed within the family day care network. These were primarily associated with values and beliefs surrounding the roles of caregivers and coordinators, and with the perceived disregard of caregivers' financial and emotional needs. A major stumbling block for articulated constructions of quality was the limited knowledge of caregivers about the groundwork criteria for quality review. In addition, a number of training and resourcing issues were identified as contributing to the perceived gulf between caregivers and coordinators. These issues highlighted oppositional, often clashing, perspectives which constrained a collective construction of quality. Four distinct discourses were identified as they emerged within the data. These were a 1) professional, 2) family-centred, 3) philanthropic and 4) corporate values and beliefs that profoundly influenced the way quality was articulated. The strong, permeating influence of the four distinct discourses, evident throughout this study, created significant challenges for this family day care network as it was positioned within the education framework and a market-driven society. The review process, however, offered a counter-discourse by creating a mutual space for sharing multiple perspectives within a partnership framework, as advocated within The Quality Journey/He Haerenga Whai Hua. The results of this study support the methodology of The Quality Journey/He Haerenga Whai Hua (Ministry of Education, 2000b) as an effective tool for improving quality within family day care. This study concludes that the voices of caregivers made an important contribution to the construction of quality and contributed to heightened expectations for the service. Moreover, a consortium approach to quality review supports the collaborative models embodied within The Quality Journey/He Haerenga Whai Hua and the guiding principles of the Desirable Objectives and Practices (DOPs) as a tool for constructing and reviewing high quality that upholds children as a central tenet of quality. The review outcomes support several national and international studies that highlight the value of training, attitudes and knowledge as essential contributors to quality. Professional development is viewed as a catalyst for quality constructions, quality indicators and, ultimately, quality-in-action for family day care.