Autonomy, Fairness and Active Relationships: Children's Experiences of Well-being in Childcare

Abstract

Researchers and policy-makers are increasingly concerned with children's well-being in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) settings. Recent research identifies the value of using qualitative methods to understand children's experiences of well-being in ECEC/OSHC, but there remain few such studies. This article presents findings from a child-centric qualitative study with Australian children of nurses and police, which sought to understand their experiences of well-being in ECEC/OSHC. Children's experiences of well-being were shaped by parental relationships, how informed they were about the rationale for their care arrangements and the degree of age-appropriate autonomy they experienced.