Attachment and stress regulation in socioeconomically disadvantaged children: Can public childcare compensate?

Abstract

Children growing up in families experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage (SED) are at greater risk for deficits in attachment and stress regulation as compared to peers in families with more socioeconomic resources. The present study hypothesized that care providers in out‐of‐home care might help these children to compensate. We therefore investigated 60 children (n = 30 from SED, n = 30 matched counterparts from middle class) and assessed children's Attachment Q‐Sort (AQS) toward the mother and the primary care provider in childcare centers. Moreover, children's diurnal cortisol rhythm was measured based on 12 saliva samples taken across three days a week.The disadvantaged children showed lower AQS scores with their mothers than their care providers. Compared to their counterparts, disadvantaged children also displayed heightened cortisol release and flatter cortisol profiles reflecting overall high hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenocortical activities and lower capacities to regulate stress. Most notably however, multilevel path modeling linked higher care provider AQS scores to decreasing cortisol release throughout the week.