ABSTRACT: 

Some parents may not be well informed consumers of child care, including a lack of knowledge of whether or not the child care environment is regulated. This study examines parental accuracy of regulated child care in Canada. Nationally, approximately three-quarters of parents accurately reported whether the care they were using was regulated or not, although parents who reported using unregulated care were more accurate than those who reported using regulated care. Furthermore, sociodemographic characteristics such as income and parental education were positively associated with accuracy of reporting. Knowing the regulated status of care is important for parental decision making, as regulation may be associated with higher quality of care and better outcomes for children and families.