Abstract
The purposes of this research are to find out the standards which mothers consider seriously when choosing a day care center and mother's perception for the quality criteria of day care center, and to estimate the differences of these according to region. The sample consisted of 568 mothers with children using day care center located at the city of Taegu and Dalsung Gun. Collected data were analyzed by frequency, Percentage, chi-square, t-test, chronbach's $\alpha$. The results are summerized as follows : 1. In mother's perception for the quality criteria of day care center, the mothers living in the large city perceived more importantly in staff qualifications, administration - evaluation, staff- parent/staff- child interaction, curriculum, staffing, physical environment nutrition, health and safty than mothers in rural community. 2. In the importance classified by domains of the quality criteria of day care center, there were statistically significant differences according to the variable of region in staff qualifications, staff-parent/staff-child interaction, curriculum, staffing, physical environment 3. Given the present situations (income, transportation, location of workplace, etc.), when mothers choose a day care center, generally, staff-parent/staff-child interaction was the most important factor. And according to region, the distance to workplace or home was the most important factor in the case of mothers living in the large city, on the other hand, staff-parent/staff-chad interaction was the most important factor in the case of mothers living in rural community when mothers choose an ideal day care center, generally staff-parent/staff-chad interaction was the most important selection standard, and there were not remarkable differences according to region.