Living Separately as a Child-Care Strategy: Implications for Women's Work and Family in Urban Thailand

Abstract

This study examines three hypotheses for explaining why children live separately from their Thai mothers. Data were obtained from a study conducted by Mahidol University among a representative sample of 1515 ever-married women aged 15-44 years from greater metropolitan Bangkok in 1991. A child care sample of 220 children provides detailed information on the interrelationships between work child care migration and family. Findings indicate that about 8-10% of children lived separately from their mothers at any given age and the proportion is fairly constant by age. About 15% of children spent at least 1 month living separately from their mothers by the age of 5 years. More than 50% were aged under 1 year. Over 50% of children separated from their mothers lived apart for 3 years or more. The data suggest both crisis and long-term fostering. Most children lived with their grandparents. Over 20% lived with nonrelatives either babysitters or nursery facilities. The most frequent reason given for living apart from children was maternal work and the lack of anyone to care for the child. Discrete-time logistic regression models show that younger maternal age was associated with a greater risk of living apart. Children of mothers with a secondary or higher education were more likely to live apart. Children whose mothers migrated after marriage or migrated between the age of 15 years and marriage were most likely to live apart. Children whose mothers worked in a family business or were self-employed or who were separated from their husbands were more likely to live apart. Childrens birth cohort was unrelated. Only and first born children with younger siblings were most likely to live apart from their mothers. Children whose mothers did not plan child care had a greater risk of living apart. Quantitative and qualitative data suggest the lack of child care options as largely contributory to children living apart from their mothers. Kinship was a second major reason for separation.