Shedding Further Light on the Effects of Various Types and Quality of Early Child Care on Infant–Mother Attachment Relationship: The Haifa Study of Early Child Care

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Abstract
The Haifa Study of Early Child Care recruited a large–scale sample (N= 758) that represented the full SES spectrum in Israel, to examine the unique contribution of various child–care–related correlates to infant attachment. After controlling for other potential contributing variables—including mother characteristics, mother–child interaction, mother–father relationship, infant characteristics and development, and the environment—this study found that center–care, in and of itself, adversely increased the likelihood of infants developing insecure attachment to their mothers as compared with infants who were either in maternal care, individual nonparental care with a relative, individual nonparental care with a paid caregiver, or family day–care. The results suggest that it is the poor quality of center–care and the high infant–caregiver ratio that accounted for this increased level of attachment insecurity among center–care infants.

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