公辦民營托嬰中心之公私協力方式及托育品質探討

Study on the Private–Public Partnership Model and Childcare Quality in Privately-Operated Public Infant Care Centers

近年來政府為支持家庭育兒，積極建構公私協立的托嬰服務供給模式，迄2022 年6 月底全臺已達342 間公辦民營托嬰機構，分由20 個地方政府設立，然而各地方政府輔導與管理方式間存在極大差異，如何確保其托育品質是眾所關心的議題。過往文獻顯示托育機構的托育品質表現，受到許多結構因素的影響，其中包括地區、機構與班群因素等，本研究探究公辦民營托嬰中心之托育品質樣貌及公私協力運作方式，並探討結構因素與托嬰中心托育品質的關係。由全國辦理公私協力托嬰方案的10 個地方政府中，依開辦數量比例抽樣30 間公辦民營托嬰中心，以「嬰幼兒托育環境評量表[ITERS-R]」評量其托育品質表現，並收集托嬰中心結構要素及公私協力資料。研究發現公辦民營托嬰中心的托育品質大致良好，落差不大，顯示公私協力的成效良好。而公私協力方式則呈現地方政府、受委託民間團體及托嬰中心三者交錯互動關係，無論地方政府或受委託單位，對托嬰中心在管理輔導面向上多採全面性關注，內容上兼顧行政、教保、衛生安全各層面；在輔導形式與頻率上較採多元且密集方式，對托育品質進行維護與管控。當檢視不同層面結構因素之影響，發現位於台北市、由大專院校承接、中度的內部督導頻率（每月一次）及高度的外部督導頻率（每月一次）的公私協力托嬰中心，其托育品質的表現較佳。

In recent years, the government has been actively establishing a public–private partnership model for infant care services to support families in childcare. As of the end of June 2022, the number of privately-operated public infant care centers in Taiwan reached 342. Twenty local governments established these centers. However, the guidance and management strategies adopted by various local governments vary significantly. Given this phenomenon, how to ensure quality childcare is an issue of public concern. Literature has shown that childcare quality in childcare facilities is affected by multiple structural factors, including regional, institutional, and group factors. This study explores the childcare quality and the public–private partnership model in privately-operated public infant care centers and investigates the relationship between structural factors and childcare quality. Thirty privately-operated public infant care centers were sampled from the ones established by 10 local governments nationwide that implemented infant care programs under the public–private partnership model—according to the proportion of the number of establishments. The quality of childcare was assessed using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ITERS-R), and data on structural factors and public–private partnerships were collected from infant care centers. The study found that the childcare quality in these infant care centers was generally good, with minor variations, indicating that the public–private partnership model has produced positive results. The model presented the interlocking and interactive relationship between local governments, contracted private organizations, and infant care centers. The local governments and the contracted organizations adopted a comprehensive focus on the management and guidance of the infant care centers, addressing aspects such as administration, educare, and health and safety. In terms of the mode and frequency of guidance, a diverse and intensive approach was adopted to maintain and control the quality of childcare. An examination of the influences of structural factors on different levels revealed that privately-operated public infant care centers located in Taipei City, operated by colleges or universities, with medium frequencies of internal supervision (once per month) and high frequencies of external supervision (once per month), had better childcare quality.