TY - JOUR
T1 - Is stability always a good thing? Low-income mothers' experiences with child care transitions
AU - Speirs, Katherine E.
AU - Vesely, Colleen K.
AU - Roy, Kevin
N1 - Funding Information:
These analyses were conducted with support from the W.T. Grant Foundation and the General Review Board at the University of Maryland . We also acknowledge core support to the Three-City Study from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development through Grants HD36093 and HD25936 as well as the support of many government agencies and private foundations. For a complete list of funders, see www.threecitystudy.johnshopkins.edu .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2015/6/1
Y1 - 2015/6/1
N2 - Recent research has drawn attention to the deleterious effects of instability on child development. In particular, child care instability may make it hard for children to form secure attachments to their care providers which may have a negative impact on their development and school readiness. These effects seem to be heightened for low-income children and families. However, there remains a lack of clarity regarding how and why low-income mothers make changes to their child care arrangements. Using ethnographic data from Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three City Study, this study explored 36 low-income mothers' experiences of child care instability and stability and the factors that promoted each. We identified four kinds of child care transitions: planned, averted, failed, and forced. Financial resources, transportation and the availability of care during the hours that mothers work were important for helping mothers find and maintain preferred care arrangements. Our findings have implications for research on child care instability as well as the development of policy and programs to help low-income families secure high quality child care and maintain stable employment.
AB - Recent research has drawn attention to the deleterious effects of instability on child development. In particular, child care instability may make it hard for children to form secure attachments to their care providers which may have a negative impact on their development and school readiness. These effects seem to be heightened for low-income children and families. However, there remains a lack of clarity regarding how and why low-income mothers make changes to their child care arrangements. Using ethnographic data from Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three City Study, this study explored 36 low-income mothers' experiences of child care instability and stability and the factors that promoted each. We identified four kinds of child care transitions: planned, averted, failed, and forced. Financial resources, transportation and the availability of care during the hours that mothers work were important for helping mothers find and maintain preferred care arrangements. Our findings have implications for research on child care instability as well as the development of policy and programs to help low-income families secure high quality child care and maintain stable employment.
KW - Child care
KW - Instability
KW - Low-income families
KW - Preschool-aged children
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U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.03.026
DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.03.026
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84927599280
SN - 0190-7409
VL - 53
SP - 147
EP - 156
JO - Children and Youth Services Review
JF - Children and Youth Services Review
ER -