Parental Work Schedules and Child‐Care Arrangements in Low‐Income Families

Abstract

Objective: This study analyzes the relationships between parental working schedules and several aspects of child-care arrangements for young children in low-income single-mother and two-partner households. Background: Children whose parents work nonstandard schedules may hold child-care arrangements that are less stimulating or developmentally productive than their peers whose parents work standard schedules. This study builds on previous research by expanding the set of outcomes under analysis, accounting for coscheduling in two-partner households, revising traditional shift definitions, and using recent, nationally representative data. Method: The 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education is used to develop work schedule typologies. Regression methods are employed to evaluate the relationships between these schedules and the use of center-based, home-based, and relative care; continuity of care; and complexity of care (a new measure introduced as an alternative to care multiplicity). Results: Nonstandard schedules are associated with increased child-care complexity and decreased continuity and the types of care that children receive in single-mother households but less so in two-partner households. In two-partner households the largest effects are

The Consequences of Living in Childcare Deserts: Evidence from Canada

“…The same parents may be unable to afford alternative forms of care, such as nanny services or private unlicensed options. It may also be that the need for childcare is the greatest among parents working more hours per week (Hepburn 2018), given the associated time constraints and necessity for longer periods of childcare. We consider these possibilities in the current study: We analytically control for individual/family‐level socioeconomic status (i.e., household income) and neighborhood disadvantage and test possible differences in our noted associations by mothers’ and fathers’ paid work hours.…”

Couples’ daily childcare schedules: gendered patterns and variations

“…Combining work and childcare in the flexible UK labour market means that parents constantly juggle their work and care (LaValle et al, 2002). It underlines the necessity to analyze weekly work and care schedules instead of daily schedules (Hepburn, 2018). On the one hand, the finding highlights the need for policies that support highly flexible childcare arrangements, both regarding institutional provision and increased involvement of fathers earlier in the day.…”

Sleep and stress in mother–toddler dyads living in low‐income homes

“…Living in a low‐income home can be stressful for families with young children – and may include competing demands and stressors for parents with few financial resources to also raise a family (Blair & Raver, 2012), including managing child sleep. For example, parents in low‐income homes may be experiencing higher levels of stress related to limited resources – such as poor employment opportunities and low‐wage work with insufficient funds to pay bills (Thompson & Dahling, 2019), poor housing (Jensen et al., 2017), food insecurity (Koury et al., 2020), and limited affordable and accessible childcare options due to nonstandard work schedules for parents with low‐income (Hepburn, 2018). Additionally, parents in low‐income households may also be more likely to work long hours or in jobs with shift work that make it difficult to adhere to regular or early bedtimes to optimize sleep in young children (Owens, 2020).…”