‘You have to choose your childcare to fit your work’: Childcare decision-making among low-income working families

Abstract

Regardless of their economic background, most working parents face the task of arranging childcare at some point. The decision-making process they experience is often complex, and this complexity is intensified for particular groups of families with limited financial and social resources. In this paper, we present findings from a three-year qualitative study of the childcare choices of low-income working families, many of whom were immigrants, had limited English proficiency, were parents of children with special needs, or represented some combination of these factors. The study explored families' current care arrangements, their reasons for selecting a particular form of childcare, and the characteristics of their ideal arrangements. Data were coded to identify themes in parental preferences, decision factors, and the barriers families faced in accessing their preferred care arrangements. Most significantly, the parents studied described their preferences for an environment where their children could learn and be in the presence of caring and trustworthy caregivers. About a third of the families said they preferred relatives as caregivers, and selected relatives to provide childcare. Other parents selected care according to cost, location, and availability of the provider; they described the challenges of locating affordable, high-quality care that met their nonstandard schedules. These findings have important implications for childcare policy.

Time for a change? Predictors of child care changes by low-income families

“…Knowing and trusting the provider is important to many low-income parents (Sandstrom and Chaudry 2012;Lowe and Weisner 2004). There is also evidence that low-income parents choose arrangements based on practical concerns, such as location, hours, and cost (Peyton et al 2001;Kim and Fram 2009;Sandstrom and Chaudry 2012). In addition, parents' choices, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, are influenced by the care options that are available (Fuller et al 2002).…”

“…Joesch and Hiedemann (2002) find that demand for nonrelative care falls as income rises to a threshold, beyond which hours of nonrelative care rise with income. Knowing and trusting the provider is important to many low-income parents (Sandstrom and Chaudry 2012;Lowe and Weisner 2004). There is also evidence that low-income parents choose arrangements based on practical concerns, such as location, hours, and cost (Peyton et al 2001;Kim and Fram 2009;Sandstrom and Chaudry 2012).…”

Couples’ Work Schedules and Child-Care Use in the Netherlands

“…On the one hand, they can facilitate the combination of paid work and family life, an issue with which parents nowadays often struggle (Duncan and Pettigrew 2012). On the other hand, the coordination of child care can be quite complex in itself (Sandstrom and Chaudry 2012). Child-care arrangements are also associated with differences in child well-being (e.g., Bradley and Vandell 2007).…”

Examining the relationship between intergroup relations and head start use in the south

“…Existing literature finds that parents are responsive to the supply and accessibility of preschool in their community (Cascio & Schanzenbach, 2013;Crosnoe, Purtell, Davis-Kean, Ansari, & Benner, 2016;Davis & Connelly, 2005). With income and transportation limitations, low-income parents must select from affordable care options that are easily accessible (Sandstrom & Chaudry, 2012). States with universal preschool programs have over time achieved higher rates of enrollment than areas without universal programs (Cascio & Schanzenbach, 2013).…”