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Child Policy Experts Answer Your Questions about Child Care Quality

Improving child care quality has been a priority for policymakers over the last decade, and child care quality rating systems have proliferated across the country.

However, several studies released in 2008 find little evidence that child care quality ratings systems have improved children's well-being, raising questions about what child care quality initiatives are most effective.

This Expert Perspectives feature allows PPN visitors to ask leading child policy experts their questions on the topic of child care quality.

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Expert Perspectives

Child Care Quality


This expert has contributed to PPN's Expert Perspectives feature on the topic of child care quality.


Gail Zellman, PhD

Gail Zellman

Senior Research Psychologist
RAND Corporation


Gail L. Zellman is a social and clinical psychologist with years of experience conducting and leading research on child and youth policy. She was principal investigator of a longitudinal evaluation of a child care Quality Rating System (QRS) developed by Qualistar Early Learning, a Colorado-based non-profit. That work attempted to validate the Qualistar QRS by analyzing its component measures and by assessing the degree to which quality improvements facilitated by a system of technical assistance are associated with changes in QRS ratings and with improved child functioning. Dr. Zellman has recently published a study of the development and implementation of quality rating systems in five pioneer states that includes recommendations for designing and revising these systems. She has also led numerous studies of the military child care system. Currently, she is working on a study of accountability systems that is attempting to develop broader lessons about such systems in five sectors, including child care, education, health, emergency planning and transportation. Dr. Zellman has a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.