Families, friends & neighbors: Understanding the needs of FFN childcare providers in L.A. County
A study of the characteristics and needs of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care providers in Los Angeles County, California, based on surveys from 448 FFN providers and on five focus groups with 44 FFN providers
Reports & Papers
Families, friends & neighbors: Understanding the needs of FFN childcare providers in L.A. County [Executive summary]
A summary of a study of the characteristics and needs of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care providers in Los Angeles County, California, based on surveys from 448 FFN providers and on five focus groups with 44 FFN providers
Executive Summary
Family day care in Australia: A systematic review of research (1996-2010)
Family Day Care (FDC) is a distinctive form of child care chosen by many Australian families. However, there appears to be little empirical research on FDC conducted in Australia. The aim of this study was to systematically review the recent published literature on FDC research in Australia, assess its quality, and identify pertinent topics for future research. FDC research has been conducted on topics such as use and cost of care, aspects of child and caregiver health, and nutrition and physical activity. Studies were generally quantitative and descriptive, with a notable lack of intervention studies. Small sample size and limited analysis of FDC data were the two major issues compromising the quality of the studies. Overall, there is great potential to increase the amount of research on FDC in Australia, and improve its quality. Important topics requiring further research include the effect of training on the caregiver, and the social and emotional wellbeing of children and educators. (author abstract)
Literature Review
Family proximity, childcare, and women's labor force attachment
We show that close geographical proximity to mothers or mothers-in-law has a substantial positive effect on the labor supply of married women with young children. We argue that the mechanism through which proximity increases labor supply is the availability of childcare. We interpret availability broadly enough to include not only regular scheduled childcare during work hours but also an insurance aspect of proximity (e.g., a mother or mother-in-law who can provide irregular or unanticipated childcare). Using two large datasets, the National Survey of Families and Households and the public use files of the U.S. Census, we find that the predicted probability of employment and labor force participation is 4-10 percentage points higher for married women with young children living in close proximity to their mothers or their mothers-in-law compared with those living further away. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Infant and toddler care and education in Milwaukee
An overview of Early Head Start programs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and an examination of Milwaukee subsidized child care programs serving infants and toddlers and also participating in YoungStar, the state child care quality rating and improvement system, based on administrative data and interviews with directors of highly-rated YoungStar child care progams
Reports & Papers
An international perspective on regulated family day care systems
Despite emerging evidence of the contributors to high-quality family day care, a comprehensive comparison of international family day care systems has not been undertaken. The aim of this paper is to compare regulated family day care (FDC) in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, and the USA, using standard information about FDC usage and each country's structural characteristics, regulatory approach, quality assurance indicators, supervision and support, and sector challenges. A template was developed by representatives of the International Family Day Care Organisation, including academics, FDC providers, and FDC educators and management staff. The paper demonstrates that, although the existing body of published research is sufficient to provide clear guidance for developing and maintaining quality FDC, this knowledge is not always being applied in current practices. Three practices, each pertaining to several countries, are of concern: (a) minimal requirements for being a regulated FDC provider, (b) minimal quality assurance guidelines, and (c) minimal provider supports. There is great potential to learn from countries that have a high level of success in providing high-quality FDC and strong support for providers and families. (author abstract)
Other
Legally-exempt child care: What does it mean in New York State?
A comparison of license-exempt child care provision and policies in New York State to provision and policies in California, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington, based on state surveys and key informant interviews
Reports & Papers
Licensed child care questionnaire 2012 results
A study of the hours and days of operation, prices charged, wages paid, and finances of licensed child care providers in Ontario, Canada, based on survey responses from 3,459 licensed providers
Reports & Papers
Multigenerational households and the school readiness of children born to unmarried mothers
Following the ongoing increase in nonmarital fertility, policy makers have looked for ways to limit the disadvantages faced by children of unmarried mothers. Recent initiatives included marriage promotion and welfare-to-work programs. Yet policy might also consider the promotion of three generational households. We know little about whether multigenerational households benefit children of unwed mothers, although they are mandated for unmarried teen mothers applying for welfare benefits. Multigenerational households are also becoming increasingly common. Thus, using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 217), this study examines whether grandparent-headed coresidential households benefit preschool-aged children's school readiness, employing propensity score techniques to account for selection into these households. Findings reveal living with a grandparent is not associated with child outcomes for families that select into such arrangements but is positively associated with reading scores and behavior problems for families with a low propensity to coreside. The implications of these findings for policy are discussed. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Nonmaternal care's association with mother's parenting sensitivity: A case of self-selection bias?
Although attachment theory posits that the use of nonmaternal care undermines quality of mothers' parenting, empirical evidence for this link is inconclusive. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and
Youth Development (N =1,233), the authors examined the associations between nonmaternal care characteristics and maternal sensitivity during the first 3 years of children's lives, with special attention to selection effects and moderation by resource levels. Findings from fixed-effects regression models suggested that, on average, there is little relationship between nonmaternal care characteristics and maternal sensitivity, once selection factors are held constant. Some evidence of moderation effects was found, however. Excellent-quality care is related to more sensitivity for mothers with lower family income. Poor-quality care is related to lower sensitivity for single mothers, but not partnered mothers. In sum, nonmaternal care characteristics do not seem to have as much influence on mothers' parenting as attachment theory claims. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Outsourcing household production: Foreign domestic workers and native labor supply in Hong Kong
We explore how the availability of affordable live-in help provided by foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong affected native women's labor supply and welfare. First, we exploit differences in the FDW program between Hong Kong and Taiwan. Second, we use cross-sectional variation in the cost of a FDW to estimate a model of labor force participation and FDW hire. FDWs increased the participation of mothers with a young child (relative to older children) by 10-14 percentage points and have generated a monthly consumer surplus of US$130-US$200. By reducing child care costs through immigration, this is a market-based alternative to child care subsidies. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Sesame Street Healthy Habits for Life resource kit provides benefits for child care providers and young children
A study of the impact of health resource kits on the nutrition and physical activity knowledge and practices of family, friend, and neighbor child care providers in Los Angeles, California, based on pre- and post-intervention surveys from 30 treatment and 23 control FFN child care providers and on focus groups with 16 treatment providers
Reports & Papers
Working in early care and education in North Carolina
A study of the characteristics of North Carolina licensed early care and education centers and their staff and of North Carolina licensed family child care providers, including staff education, earnings, professional support, experience, and turnover, based on surveys from 737 center directors and 2,608 staff and from 522 family child care providers
Reports & Papers
YoungStar in Wisconsin: Analysis of data as of July 2012
An exploration of the implementation in Wisconsin of YoungStar, the state child care quality rating and improvement system, including information on child care program ratings and resources devoted to program improvement
Other
YoungStar trends early 2012 to Feb. 2013: Movement toward higher quality ratings
An examination of changes in the quality ratings of child care providers participating in YoungStar, the Wisconsin state child care quality rating and improvement system
Fact Sheets & Briefs
