The intervention simply served as evidence that family day-care (home-based) settings vary in terms of ratings, thus validating the notion that the rating criteria represent different levels of quality (Norris and Dunn, 2004). The rating system articulates quality criteria beyond licensing requirements that providers may choose to meet in order to receive higher rates of reimbursement for the provision of services. Criteria focus on staff education and training, compensation, learning environments, parent involvement and programme evaluation. The childcare centre study reports that, as a result of the rating system and increased financial support for highly rated services, more programmes are enrolling children subsidised by the state’s Department of Human Services, and global quality ratings have risen. The family day-care study indicates that aspects of family day-care practice are missing from the rating system, and that it is a challenge to find beneficial criteria that can be operationalised and implemented by both policy makers and providers.