Rural and Urban Families' Use of Child Care

Abstract

Although approximately one-fourth of the population of the United States lives in rural areas, relatively little research has focused on the experiences of children in rural families (Coleman, Ganong, Clark, & Madsen, 1989; Hennon & Brubaker, 1988; Scanzoni & Arnett, 1987; Schumm & Bollman, 1981). Specifically, little information is available concerning child care in rural areas, although rural and urban parents may differ in family resources, the structure of families, the kind of child care used, how care is selected and, as a result, the kind of services needed (Boyd & Shoffner, 1983; Scanzoni & Arnett, 1987; Sherman, 1992; Shoffner, 1986). Although some dimensions of the problems in rural child care are known, little information is available to help professionals develop services that fit the needs of rural families (Clinton & Bean, 1989; Hawk, Donham, & Gay, in press; Moore, 1989; Warnock, 1992). As defined by the United States Bureau of the Census, rural population areas include the open countryside and places with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants that lie outside urbanized areas. In 1989, 66.2 million Americans were classified by the Census Bureau as living in rural areas. The South, with 28.9 million people, has the largest rural population (43.6%), followed by the Midwest, with 17.7 million rural residents or 26.7% of the rural population. About 4.8 million persons (7.25%) of the rural population now live on farms, and the percentage has steadily dropped during this century (Pins, 1992; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990, 1992). RURAL AND URBAN FAMILIES Variables of race, ethnicity, family income, mothers' income, and children's ages have been shown to influence the use of child care in general, but information about the influence of these variables on rural families is limited, with even less data available to compare rural and urban families (Dawson & Cain, 1990). Although rural-urban differences are found, many differences appear to be decreasing. Most rural families are comprised of married couples (79.2%), and 23% have children under the age of 6. The median annual income for rural families is $34,213, with 56.8% of the rural women over the age of 15 in the labor force (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992). A similar proportion of urban women (57.2%) is employed, although families living within metropolitan areas have a higher median annual income of $38,370 (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1993). Racial differences have been found, with Caucasians comprising a larger percentage of rural (92%) than urban (81.4%) areas, and African American and Hispanics making up a smaller percentage of rural (6.3% black and 2.7% Hispanic) than urban areas (14.5% black and 10.4% Hispanic; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990). Many families indicate that maternal employment is a major reason for using supplemental child care. In the past, rural women have been less likely to be in the paid labor force than urban women (Dawson & Cain, 1990). However, this difference appears to have narrowed, although mothers' work experiences may differ (Bescher-Donnelly & Smith, 1981; Brown, 1981; Hennon & Brubaker, 1988; Lichter & Eggebeen, 1992; Ollenburger, Grana, & Moore, 1989). Women living in nonmetropolitan areas are more likely to be employed in marginal or low-paying jobs and to be employed part-time when they would prefer full-time employment (Lichter, 1989; Lichter & Eggebeen, 1992). Significant rural/urban differences in maternal education levels have also been found, with rural women having a lower level of education and fewer advantages (Scanzoni & Arnett, 1987). An increasing percentage of rural families are poor, with nearly 23% of nonmetropolitan children estimated to live in poverty (Lichter & Eggebeen, 1992). Some of the reasons for rural poverty are due to changes in employment, but about 60% of the increase in rural child poverty during the 1980s is estimated to be due to changes in family structure (Lichter & Eggebeen, 1992). …