Child Care, Parental Choice, and Consumer Education in JOBS Welfare-to-Work Programs

Abstract

The emphasis in state and federal welfare reform on moving parents with young children into the labor market has elevated child care from a peripheral to a central concern in welfare policy. This article examines issues of child-care adequacy, parental choice, and consumer education in welfare reform. An analysis of longitudinal data from three welfare-to-work programs reveals wide variations in the reported adequacy of child care used by program participants. Differences in program quality and convenience of care arrangements are found to vary by the mode of care and by children's ages. Characteristics and behaviors of participants as child-care consumers, including their use of voluntary resource and referral services, are also related to their success in obtaining adequate care. Implications of these findings for welfare and child-care policy, and for future research, are discussed.