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Families across America are pressed to find childcare that they can afford, trust and rely on. This researcher intends to identify, correlate and summarize various articles, publications, case studies and academic literature to assist him in this study of childcare conflicts and working parents.
Identification.
Growth in the number of day care centers and other forms of non-parental care for children has accompanied this increase in working mothers. But for many families, finding affordable, quality childcare can be a problem. Good care with persons other than relatives is often difficult to find or is too expensive, especially for families with low incomes. For poor mothers, lack of childcare can be a particularly serious obstacle in obtaining and holding a job (Cattan, P. 1991). The study of work and family life is relatively new. Most studies have investigated either how life on the job affects life at home, or conversely, how life at home affects life on the job. There have been a few attempts to connect it all. The 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce provides a model for understanding how work, family and personal life fit together, a model that incorporates outcomes important to all, productivity and well being (NSCW, 1998). For parents who hours are irregular or extend beyond the standard work day, locating and paying for quality child care can be a particurlary trying experience. In many communities, there are few child care options for non-standard hour workers. Some employers are developing programs to fill this critical gap in care (Dillman, 1998). The lack of affordable, quality childcare was the reason an estimated 1.1 million young mothers did not seek or hold a job in 1986, according to data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (Cattan, 1991). More parents are not only going to work, but also spend more time working. In short, time pressures are severe for most parents with young children, especially those with infants and toddlers (BWLS, 1998). Research shows that today’s jobs consume not only more time, but also more physical and emotional energy. Many new parents have to cope with a lack of security and predictability. Unpredictable or erratic work schedules make it difficult for parents to arrange stable childcare (BWLS 1998). Correlation. The Families and Work Institute’s 1998 Business Work-Life Study (BWLS), is one of the first and most comprehensive studies of how U.S. Companies are responding to the work-life needs of the nation’s changing workforce. This study surveyed employers with 100 or more employees and documented the new realities faced by employed mothers and fathers and how the business community has responded. In 1997, The Families and Work Institute conducted a study entitled The National Study of the Changing Workforce, (NSCW). This study surveyed a representative sample of employee in the U.S. labor force and found that employee with more supportive workplaces were more likely than others to have a higher level of job satisfaction. The 1997 NSWC also found that when employee’s personal and family well being is compromised by work, they experience more negative spill over from home to work, which diminishes their job performance. Employees today want and need supportive workplaces. This is especially true of …show more content…
Of these families, the following can be considered likely to have work-related child care requirements: 15.0 million married couple families with both wife and husband as earners; and 4.7 million families maintained by women, (with the householder as earner) and 1.1 million families maintained by men (with the householder as earner).(5)
Among married couple families with both husband and wife as earners, there were 25.5 million children under age 14 in March of 1999; families maintained by women, (with the householder as earner) had 7.5 million children and families maintained by men (with the householder as earner) had 1.7 million children.(6)
Where Are Preschool Children Cared For?(7)
According to the 1997 National Survey of America's Families, nationwide, a large percentage (76 percent) of preschool children with employed mothers are regularly cared for by someone other than their parents.
For more than half of preschool children with employed mothers, the primary childcare provider is not related to the child:
32 percent of children are in center-based childcare arrangements; 16 percent are in family childcare; and 6 percent are regularly cared for by a babysitter or nanny in the child's
Identification.
Growth in the number of day care centers and other forms of non-parental care for children has accompanied this increase in working mothers. But for many families, finding affordable, quality childcare can be a problem. Good care with persons other than relatives is often difficult to find or is too expensive, especially for families with low incomes. For poor mothers, lack of childcare can be a particularly serious obstacle in obtaining and holding a job (Cattan, P. 1991). The study of work and family life is relatively new. Most studies have investigated either how life on the job affects life at home, or conversely, how life at home affects life on the job. There have been a few attempts to connect it all. The 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce provides a model for understanding how work, family and personal life fit together, a model that incorporates outcomes important to all, productivity and well being (NSCW, 1998). For parents who hours are irregular or extend beyond the standard work day, locating and paying for quality child care can be a particurlary trying experience. In many communities, there are few child care options for non-standard hour workers. Some employers are developing programs to fill this critical gap in care (Dillman, 1998). The lack of affordable, quality childcare was the reason an estimated 1.1 million young mothers did not seek or hold a job in 1986, according to data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (Cattan, 1991). More parents are not only going to work, but also spend more time working. In short, time pressures are severe for most parents with young children, especially those with infants and toddlers (BWLS, 1998). Research shows that today’s jobs consume not only more time, but also more physical and emotional energy. Many new parents have to cope with a lack of security and predictability. Unpredictable or erratic work schedules make it difficult for parents to arrange stable childcare (BWLS 1998). Correlation. The Families and Work Institute’s 1998 Business Work-Life Study (BWLS), is one of the first and most comprehensive studies of how U.S. Companies are responding to the work-life needs of the nation’s changing workforce. This study surveyed employers with 100 or more employees and documented the new realities faced by employed mothers and fathers and how the business community has responded. In 1997, The Families and Work Institute conducted a study entitled The National Study of the Changing Workforce, (NSCW). This study surveyed a representative sample of employee in the U.S. labor force and found that employee with more supportive workplaces were more likely than others to have a higher level of job satisfaction. The 1997 NSWC also found that when employee’s personal and family well being is compromised by work, they experience more negative spill over from home to work, which diminishes their job performance. Employees today want and need supportive workplaces. This is especially true of …show more content…
Of these families, the following can be considered likely to have work-related child care requirements: 15.0 million married couple families with both wife and husband as earners; and 4.7 million families maintained by women, (with the householder as earner) and 1.1 million families maintained by men (with the householder as earner).(5)
Among married couple families with both husband and wife as earners, there were 25.5 million children under age 14 in March of 1999; families maintained by women, (with the householder as earner) had 7.5 million children and families maintained by men (with the householder as earner) had 1.7 million children.(6)
Where Are Preschool Children Cared For?(7)
According to the 1997 National Survey of America's Families, nationwide, a large percentage (76 percent) of preschool children with employed mothers are regularly cared for by someone other than their parents.
For more than half of preschool children with employed mothers, the primary childcare provider is not related to the child:
32 percent of children are in center-based childcare arrangements; 16 percent are in family childcare; and 6 percent are regularly cared for by a babysitter or nanny in the child's