The New York Times observed today,

Young children in Quebec are more anxious and aggressive than they were a decade ago, even though children elsewhere in Canada did not show big changes. Quebec children also learn to use a toilet, climb stairs and count to three at later ages, on average, than they once did. The effects weren’t so great for parents, either. More of them reported being depressed, and they were less satisfied with their marriages — which also didn’t happen in other provinces.

One possible cause?

Low-cost daycare. At just $7/day, day care in Quebec is about as cheap as you can find in the industrialized world. Yet the results of this study indicate that, if day care is to blame, children are worse off for it.

Food for thought in the debate about cheap daycare in the U.S.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 14 Jun 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.