Understanding Parental Understanding Parental Decisions About Children’s Decisions About Children’s
Care: An IntroductionCare: An IntroductionChild Care Policy Research Consortium Child Care Policy Research Consortium
Annual MeetingAnnual MeetingOctober 29, 2009October 29, 2009
Roberta Weber, Oregon State UniversityRoberta Weber, Oregon State University
Goals for Introduction:Goals for Introduction:
Begin conversation about policy relevance Begin conversation about policy relevance of understanding parental child care of understanding parental child care decision-making decision-making
Briefly review the Consortium’s graphic Briefly review the Consortium’s graphic description of parent’s decision makingdescription of parent’s decision making
Policy-Relevance of Policy-Relevance of Understanding Parental Child Understanding Parental Child
Care Decision-MakingCare Decision-Making
Policy areas that depend on Policy areas that depend on an understanding of child an understanding of child care decision-making include:care decision-making include: Subsidy PolicySubsidy Policy Work/Family PolicyWork/Family Policy Quality Information InitiativesQuality Information Initiatives
Subsidy PolicySubsidy Policy
Extent to which policies “fit” decision-making Extent to which policies “fit” decision-making processesprocesses
Extent to which policies support or constrain Extent to which policies support or constrain employment and child care optionsemployment and child care options
Extent to which employment and child care Extent to which employment and child care options/selections are affected by specific subsidy options/selections are affected by specific subsidy policies:policies: CopaymentCopayment Maximum payment rateMaximum payment rate Eligibility rulesEligibility rules Rules governing redetermination of eligibilityRules governing redetermination of eligibility Other Other
Work/Family PolicyWork/Family Policy
Impacts on child care decision-making Impacts on child care decision-making of:of: Workplace schedulesWorkplace schedules Access to paid and un-paid leaveAccess to paid and un-paid leave
Sick leave for self and childSick leave for self and child Maternity/paternity leaveMaternity/paternity leave
Availability of flexibility at work: Availability of flexibility at work: Part-time options Part-time options Flexible schedulesFlexible schedules
Economic strengths of familiesEconomic strengths of families
Quality Information Quality Information InitiativesInitiatives
Impact on decision-making of R&R provision Impact on decision-making of R&R provision of basic and sometimes qualitative of basic and sometimes qualitative informationinformation
Impact on decision-making of Quality Impact on decision-making of Quality Rating SystemsRating Systems Extent to which information “fits”/matches Extent to which information “fits”/matches
information parents seekinformation parents seek Extent to which delivery fits parent information Extent to which delivery fits parent information
gathering processgathering process How parents integrate QRS information with How parents integrate QRS information with
that from other sourcesthat from other sources
Common Assumptions about Common Assumptions about Parental Child Care Decision-Parental Child Care Decision-
Making Making Type of care preferred is affected by race, ethnicity, and Type of care preferred is affected by race, ethnicity, and
languagelanguage Parents are unable to discern how well an arrangement Parents are unable to discern how well an arrangement
meets developmental needsmeets developmental needs Parents lack critical information needed for making child Parents lack critical information needed for making child
care decisionscare decisions Parents prefer simplified information (e.g., stars or gold Parents prefer simplified information (e.g., stars or gold
seal) to more specific informationseal) to more specific information Parent concerns with cost and location lead to selection of Parent concerns with cost and location lead to selection of
poor quality arrangements poor quality arrangements Many low-income parents have few, if any, child care Many low-income parents have few, if any, child care
optionsoptions Subsidy parents select FFN in order to keep financial Subsidy parents select FFN in order to keep financial
resources within their family systemresources within their family system Once a parent places a child in an arrangement, they do Once a parent places a child in an arrangement, they do
not assess how well it meets child’s needsnot assess how well it meets child’s needs
Uncommon Assumptions about Uncommon Assumptions about Parental Child Care Decision-Parental Child Care Decision-
Making: Arthur C. EmlenMaking: Arthur C. Emlen Parents’ own natural judgment blends values and Parents’ own natural judgment blends values and
practical considerations into a best feasible practical considerations into a best feasible solution for the familysolution for the family
Parents better served with good, hard information Parents better served with good, hard information than with a quality ratingthan with a quality rating
Quality is an abstract concept composed of Quality is an abstract concept composed of judgments rather than an objective measurejudgments rather than an objective measure
Quality ratings are based on a set of judgments Quality ratings are based on a set of judgments Parents’ judgments more likely to result in child Parents’ judgments more likely to result in child
care that meets child and family needs than care that meets child and family needs than judgments used to create a quality ratingjudgments used to create a quality rating
Graphic Description of Parental Graphic Description of Parental Child Care Decision-Making Child Care Decision-Making
Offers Opportunity to:Offers Opportunity to: Visualize complex relationships among Visualize complex relationships among
families and communitiesfamilies and communities Organize existing body of researchOrganize existing body of research
Identify relationships among diverse findingsIdentify relationships among diverse findings Provide researchers access to relevant findingsProvide researchers access to relevant findings
Help build a research agendaHelp build a research agenda Identify areas in which little is knownIdentify areas in which little is known Clarify research questionsClarify research questions
Community
Quantity and quality of child
care supply
Employment characteristics
Social Networks
Consumer Education /qualitative information
Preferences:
Dynamic set of parent opinions
Opportunities
Constraints
Barriers
(As perceived by parent) Child Care
Arrangement(s) Used
NumberTypeHours
Price/costsStability
Perception of Quality
Financial Assistance Used
CCDF SubsidyStabilityAmount
Other Financial Assistance
Parental Employment
Outcomes
Family and Child Outcomes
Family
Parent & Child
Characteristics
Parent Values, Beliefs, & Definitions
Parental Child Care Decision-Making: Graphic Description
Description comes from merge of products created by Child Care Policy Research Consortium (2003) and the Minnesota Child Care Research Partnership (2008).
Overview of Remainder of Overview of Remainder of SessionSession
Theoretical perspectives—Theoretical perspectives—Ajay Chaudry, Ajay Chaudry, Urban Institute and Julia Henly, Urban Institute and Julia Henly, University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
Methodological and Practical Insights—Methodological and Practical Insights—Elizabeth Davis, University of MinnesotaElizabeth Davis, University of Minnesota
Findings from a study of the impact of Findings from a study of the impact of subsidy policy on parental decisions—subsidy policy on parental decisions—Ann Collins, Abt Associates, Inc.Ann Collins, Abt Associates, Inc.
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