The Dynamics of Child-Care Use and Some Implications for Women's Employment

Abstract

This study which presents information on day care use over time documents the frequent changes in day care arrangements made by mothers of preschool children and examines these changes for any patterns and for factors that may account for these patterns. It also presents evidence suggesting that certain patterns of day care use are conducive to womens continuous employment. The data come from a panel study that provides information at 3 points in time over a 4-year period for a sample of 410 mothers of preschool aged children. The sample consists of women who had their 1st single births in either July 1970 July 1971 or July 1972 and whose children were living with them at the time of the interview. All the women were between the ages of 15-29 at the time of their 1st birth. These mothers were interviewed 3 times from 1973 to 1976. 76% (310) of the mothers initially interviewed remained in the study through the 3rd interview. At all 3 interviews women who were working for pay either full-time or part-time or who were attending school were asked to provide information about the child care arrangements they used during work or school hours for each of their children. Of all the New York City mothers meeting the selection criteria 38% were black and 30% unmarried at the time of their 1st births. When these data were examined in a cross-sectional manner the findings were comparable to those from national child care studies even though this sample is a specialized one. Relatives provided a large proportion of the child care used although care provided exclusively by relatives decreased over the 3 interviews. Over the 4-year period the proportion of women depending exclusively on relatives for child care declined markedly from 62% at the 1st interview to 14% by the 3rd interview. In general the exclusive use of relatives was replaced by the use of some group form of child care (nursery school day care center kindergarten) and/or by the use of a combination of child care arrangements. The increased use of multiple child care arrangements was not explained by an increase in the family size of the respondents but the increased use of group care which itself was related to the use of multiple care arrangements was significantly related to the age of the oldest child. As children became old enough to use group facilities some of the child care provided by relatives was replaced by group forms of care. 1 finding from this study was that the use of a combination of arrangements was the only type of child care arrangement consistently related to a greater than average continuation of employment or schooling for mothers. In addition women who changed their child care arrangements from the 1st to the 2nd interviews were more likely to work or attend school at all 3 interviews than were women who did not change.