Quality child care can make a difference in a child's readiness for school and overall socialization. It can also have an impact well into adolescence, according to a new government study.

Teens who attended high-quality child care programs scored better on cognitive and academic tests -- particularly reading and math -- and had fewer behavior problems than teens who did not, researchers from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found.

The study, published in the May/June issue of the journal Child Development, followed 1,364 children in 10 cities across the country from birth until they turned 15. In addition to examining the type and quality of child care they were enrolled in using a 1-4 rating system, researchers examined their grades and reports from parents, teachers and the kids themselves when they became teenagers.

While the link between academic performance and child care quality was small, the researchers are quick to note, it does underscore the importance of quality child care on the life of a child -- beyond those early elementary school days.

Researchers discovered another interesting finding: The amount of time spent in child care seemed to have an impact on behavior. Teens who spent the most hours in child care by age 4 1/2 were more likely to be impulsive and risk taking at 15 than those who spent less time at daycare.

Experts aren't sure exactly why this is. But they have a few theories: 

"High quality child care appears to provide a small boost to academic performance, perhaps by fostering the early acquisition of school readiness skills," said James A. Griffin, deputy chief of the NICHD Child Development & Behavior Branch, in a statement. "Likewise, more time spent in child care may provide a different socialization experience, resulting in slightly more impulsive and risk-taking behaviors in adolescence. These findings underscore the importance of studying the linkages between early care and later development."

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