Mothers’ nonstandard work schedules and the use of multiple and center-based childcare

Abstract

Mothers with a nonstandard work schedule may be more likely to use multiple childcare arrangements to accommodate their childcare needs and find it difficult to use center-based care that typically operates during daytime hours. Using the framework that working mothers’ workplace demands influence their childcare needs, while families’ relational and financial resources enable them to satisfy the needs, this study examined the association between mothers’ nonstandard work schedules and their use of multiple and center-based childcare. Using a sample of 2566 young children of working mothers from the Survey of Income and Program Participation of 2008, we found that the odds of multiple childcare arrangements were 36% higher when mothers worked an irregular schedule. The odds that one of the arrangements was a childcare center were 54% and 30% lower when mothers had a shift schedule and an irregular schedule. Families’ relational resource, the presence of non-mother adults in the family, was associated with the use of both multiple and center-based care arrangements, but financial resources were related only to the use of center-based care. Potential policy efforts are discussed to help low-wage working mothers better achieve a work-family balance.