abstract: 'Aim This paper describes a process evaluation that was conducted

  alongside a randomized controlled trial of out-of-home pre-school day

  care. The evaluation aimed to: (1) describe the intervention; (2)

  document the day care received by participating families; (3) describe

  the social context of the trial; and (4) provide data to assist in the

  interpretation of trial outcomes.

  Methods The setting for the trial was an out-of-home day care Centre in

  Hackney, East London. Process data were collected through the use of

  questionnaires, interviews, and researcher field-notes. Data from

  questionnaires were collected from 120 mothers and included data on 143

  children. Interviews were undertaken with 21 participating mothers.

  Staff also completed questionnaires and the Head of the Centre was

  interviewed. The quality of care provided was assessed using the Early

  Childhood Environment Rating Scale.

  Results Process data collected during the trial suggest that the day

  care provided was education-led, flexible in catering to families''

  needs, and was of a very high quality. The social context of the trial

  resulted in financial pressures, which may well have influenced the

  intervention provided. Data collected through in-depth interviews

  suggested that it may be the flexibility of day care that is

  particularly important in allowing women to return to paid employment,

  but that the loss of benefits when starting work may have meant no

  increase in household income.

  Conclusion The paper illustrates the value of conducting a process

  evaluation alongside a randomized trial, particularly where complex

  interventions are involved. In this case, where the intervention was not

  provided by the research team, the evaluation allowed an insight into

  the content of a multifaceted intervention, which is useful in

  interpreting the trial''s results, and in explaining the possible effects

  of the social context on the intervention.'
affiliation: 'Toroyan, T (Corresponding Author), Univ London London Sch Hyg \& Trop
  Med, Dept Epidemiol \& Populat Hlth, Nutr \& Publ Hlth Intervent Res Unit, 1st Floor,Wolfson
  Bldg,Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, England.

  Univ London London Sch Hyg \& Trop Med, Dept Epidemiol \& Populat Hlth, Nutr \&
  Publ Hlth Intervent Res Unit, London WC1E 7HT, England.

  Univ London, Inst Educ, Social Sci Res Unit, London WC1N 1AZ, England.

  City \& Hackney Primary Care Trust, Child \& Adolescent Serv, London, England.

  Univ E Anglia, Sch Med Hlth Policy \& Practice, Norwich NR4 7TJ, Norfolk, England.

  Mapledene Early Years Ctr, London, England.'
author: Toroyan, T and Oakley, A and Laing, G and Roberts, I and Mugford, M and Turner,
  J
author-email: toroyant@who.int
author_list:
- family: Toroyan
  given: T
- family: Oakley
  given: A
- family: Laing
  given: G
- family: Roberts
  given: I
- family: Mugford
  given: M
- family: Turner
  given: J
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2004.00481.x
files: []
issn: 0305-1862
journal: CHILD CARE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT
keywords: 'evaluation; pre-school day care; household income; social intervention;

  randomization'
keywords-plus: HEALTH; INTERVENTIONS; DESIGN
language: English
month: NOV
number: '6'
number-of-cited-references: '20'
pages: 691-698
papis_id: 4406412eaafbbc885ff48158354b2837
ref: Toroyan2004impactday
times-cited: '17'
title: 'The impact of day care on socially disadvantaged families: an example of the
  use of process evaluation within a randomized controlled trial'
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000224921200014
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '5'
volume: '30'
web-of-science-categories: Psychology, Developmental; Pediatrics
year: '2004'