The Duke of York Day Care Project

Progress of the children involved in a Canadian day care project is reported, focusing on the day-to-day interaction of the children and any changes in their overt behavior patterns. Particular emphasis is on the adjustment of the inner-city youth to the problems produced by the cultural and economic deprivation of their environment. A brief review of the literature and history of the project are included, followed by the analysis of the project itself, which is acknowledged to be necessarily limited in scope due to the brief time of study and small number of students involved. The project aimed at providing economically deprived youth with individual attention and affection, counseling and play activities conducive to fostering normal, healthy attitudes toward themselves and their environment. Although it is still early to determine the extent of the project's effectiveness, it seems to be successful on the basis of several factors: children's patterns of response, level of physical health, general level of mental and emotional health, and acceptance by both families and the community. (LH)