Canada country background report – Quality in early childhood education and care
In recent years, there have been ongoing efforts to understand the concept of quality in early childhood settings, and to better design policy and program initiatives that enhance quality. A growing body of evidence suggests that “process quality, that is the children’s everyday social, emotional, physical and instructional interactions with staff and other children, is the primary driver of gains in children’s development.” Process quality suggests that policies and practices that support relationships with children and families, opportunities for professional development, mentoring and coaching contribute more to quality than the structural elements typically outlined in regulatory frameworks, including group size, child to staff ratios, or space requirements
