指导说明：儿童保育机构质量的基本要素（英）2025

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 allprograms, 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 thatchildren are in safe and stimulating environments? (iii)What should you look for when visiting a childcare setting? (iv)what arethe essential system elements needed to ensure and improve quality? and (iv)what should be prioritized in the short term toimprove quality? This note is intended to guide World Bank and UNICEF teams, governments and other key stakeholders. Key messages• Quality childcare is essential to ensure a safe environment for children that protects them from physical andpsychological harm and promotes holistic child development.•The quality of services—and perception of quality—will impact uptakeand families’ choice to use childcare.•Quality childcare can be achieved through focusing on a few key principles, which can be flexibly implementedacross different contexts, including low-resource settings.•The skills and capacity of the practitioner are key factors in ensuring quality.At both setting and system level,investing in the childcare workforce should be a top priority, including in training, supervision and ensuring decentrenumeration and conditions of employment.1•A robust quality assurance system should include feasible quality standards,clear and manageable registrationprocesses, regular monitoring and effective use of data.oQuality assurance systems should help bring providers into the system and encourage and support qualityimprovements.•Building a quality childcare system takes time and sustained investments: while working towards this, in the short-term, countries should prioritize investments that ensure children are in safe and stimulating environments thatmeet their basic needs.Public Disclosure AuthorizedPublic Disclosure Authorized Box 1.Key elements of quality childcare needed in all settings (and can be flexibly implemented) include: oChildren are cared for by atrained practitionerwho can keep children safe, respond to their needs, and provideculturally-relevant and age-appropriate experiences to support their development.oCaring and responsiveinteractionsbetween childcare practitioners and children.oSafe and stimulating physical environmentswith enough space to move around, adequate ventilation, light,accessible exits and appropriate toilets and handwashing facilities.oManageable adult to childratio(with more adult caregivers for younger children).oSimple daily routinesthat are regularly reviewed with children and parents and respond to children’s needs byincluding time for a range of activities, nutritious food, and naps (for younger children).oAge-appropriate play-based activities/curriculathat support cognitive, socio-emotional and motor developmentthrough a mix of structured activities, free play, and limited or no screen time.oVariety of age and culturally appropriate play materialsto support development and learning.oPractices that promote children’s health, hygiene, nutrition, protection, and well-being.oRegular, engaged interactions between parents and childcare practitionersto support children’s development.Public Disclosure Authorized Box 2.What do we mean by childcare? Childcare refers to a service with the primary objective of caring for children while parents and other guardians areworking, studying or otherwise unavailable. Childcare is a core component within the broader care system and a keyintervention to promote early childhood development. It is recognized by the Convention on the Rights of the Child asa right of every child and family. Quality childcare should ensure children are safe and have opportunities to learn anddevelop positive relationships with caregivers and peers. Childcare provision mostly caters to children from birth up toprimary-school-entry age (typically up to age 5–6) but can include after-school care. Childcare can be provided in differentsettings and financed through various modalities. It may be called various names in different contexts, but tends to fallinto three categories: (i)center-based care (e.g., daycares, nurseries, crèches, etc.); (ii)home-based care (either care by apractitioner in the child’s own home or care provided for a group of children in a practitioner’s home); and (iii)family andother informal arrangements (which may or may not be remunerated). Although the primary objective of preschool is toprepare children for primary school, it can also serve a childcare function if designed with consideration for the needs