EECERA conference Nicosia, Cyprus, August 28-31, 2002 1 Low Income Families’ Search for Quality Child Care Four Community Profiles Demetra Evangelou Susan

EECERA conference Nicosia, CypEECERA conference Nicosia, Cyprus, August 28-31, 2002rus, August 28-31, 2002

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Low Income Families’ Search Low Income Families’ Search for Quality Child Carefor Quality Child Care

Four Community ProfilesFour Community Profiles

Demetra Evangelou Susan Kontos Jim ElickerDemetra Evangelou Susan Kontos Jim Elicker

Department of Child Development and Family StudiesDepartment of Child Development and Family StudiesPurdue UniversityPurdue University

West Lafayette, IN 47907-1269West Lafayette, IN 47907-1269USAUSA

Research funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesResearch funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services


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OutlineOutline

Overview of studyOverview of studyCommunity Child Care Research Project Community Child Care Research Project

(CCCRP)(CCCRP)

PurposePurpose MethodsMethods Findings Findings ImplicationsImplications


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•Population: 6,080,485 ethnic•Capitol city: Indianapolis•Median income for 4 person family: $62,097•15.4% of children under 5 in poverty (national 20.8%)•Unemployment rate: 5%•More exempt care than other states•34% single parent household•7.3 % LBW•90.000 children in subsidized care

Indiana: The crossroads of AmericaIndiana: The crossroads of America


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Research QuestionsResearch Questions

TypesTypes of child care settings low income working poor of child care settings low income working poor families usefamilies use

Problems in finding and maintaining child care Problems in finding and maintaining child care arrangementsarrangements

Flexibility in the child care arrangements and in Flexibility in the child care arrangements and in employment conditionsemployment conditions

Community VariationsCommunity Variations


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Project OverviewProject Overview

Phase I: Oct. 10/2001-4/2002Phase I: Oct. 10/2001-4/2002

County profilesCounty profiles

Phase II: 6/2002-9/2004Phase II: 6/2002-9/2004Context factors, child care quality and child/family outcomesContext factors, child care quality and child/family outcomes

Child Care Expert InterviewsChild Care Expert InterviewsParent Focus Group InterviewsParent Focus Group InterviewsState DataState Data

Community context factorsCommunity context factors child care supply, subsidies, R&Rchild care supply, subsidies, R&R

quality improvement effortsquality improvement effortsChild care factorsChild care factors

type, challenges, dosage, flexibilitytype, challenges, dosage, flexibilityQualityQuality: : Structural, ProcessStructural, ProcessFamily factorsFamily factors

parent education, employment, income, ethnicityparent education, employment, income, ethnicityWork factorsWork factorsChild DevelopmentChild Development – –

Cognitive and social development, school readiness, Cognitive and social development, school readiness, parent/teacher rating, observations of child behavior in settingparent/teacher rating, observations of child behavior in setting

Parent EmploymentParent Employment - - Number of hours employed, productivity Number of hours employed, productivity (absenteeism), longevity(absenteeism), longevity


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PopulationPopulationWorking poor familiesWorking poor families Families that earn $35,000 or Families that earn $35,000 or

less/yearless/year Training/in school/workingTraining/in school/working Single mother/Single mother/absentabsent father father Very youngVery young Multiple childrenMultiple children Not receiving TANF (welfare)Not receiving TANF (welfare)


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PurposePurpose

Describe the difficulties experienced by Describe the difficulties experienced by low income working poor families in finding low income working poor families in finding and maintaining child care for their childrenand maintaining child care for their children

Understand the process by which families Understand the process by which families find and maintain reliable, affordable and find and maintain reliable, affordable and acceptable in quality child care acceptable in quality child care


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MethodologyMethodology

Child Care Expert key Child Care Expert key Informant InterviewsInformant Interviews Semi structured phone Semi structured phone

interviewsinterviews

Parent Focus GroupsParent Focus Groups Semi structured face Semi structured face

to face interviewsto face interviews

State DataState Data


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General findingsGeneral findingsParentsParents

Safety trustSafety trust Who should care Who should care

for the childrenfor the children Child ageChild age The subsidy cycleThe subsidy cycle Employer Employer

involvementinvolvement Flexible hoursFlexible hours TransportationTransportation

Experts Experts Rising demandRising demand Parent educationParent education Improve qualityImprove quality Provider trainingProvider training Alternative formsAlternative forms Subsidies Subsidies


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Child Care Settings in the Four CountiesChild Care Settings in the Four Counties

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Allen Lake Marion St.Jo

lcch

lccc

ccm


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Locating Child CareLocating Child Care

AllenAllen

““Try to keep my kids at home, you know under my wings”Try to keep my kids at home, you know under my wings”

LakeLake““People who work there they make it hard for you”People who work there they make it hard for you”

MarionMarionLook around the neighborhood, make appointments, Look around the neighborhood, make appointments,

internetinternet


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FlexibilityFlexibility AllenAllen

““They don’t care what your excuse is..they have no sympathy for people with They don’t care what your excuse is..they have no sympathy for people with kids”kids”

MarionMarion““....so it would be nice sometime to know that ok it’s Tuesday and my kids can so it would be nice sometime to know that ok it’s Tuesday and my kids can

be there and I am going to do grocery shopping”be there and I am going to do grocery shopping”

St. JosephSt. Joseph““Child care centers should be available you know for working parents during Child care centers should be available you know for working parents during

the day and also students in the evening”the day and also students in the evening”


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ProblemsProblems AllenAllen

““The vicious circle that goesThe vicious circle that goes””

LakeLake““It was so inflexible that it was impossible to work the three to eleven It was so inflexible that it was impossible to work the three to eleven

shift”shift”

MarionMarion““I don’t like that sometimes a lot of teachers are coming and going…get I don’t like that sometimes a lot of teachers are coming and going…get

some good teachers and pay them a little more so they can stay.”some good teachers and pay them a little more so they can stay.”

St. JosephSt. Joseph““I did not want her in a home day care because she basically when the I did not want her in a home day care because she basically when the

kids go there they watch cartoons and that’s what they did all day kids go there they watch cartoons and that’s what they did all day long”long”


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Financial ResourcesFinancial Resources AllenAllen

““Child care is expensive, my daughter is $180 a Child care is expensive, my daughter is $180 a week…if it wasn’t for the voucher agent I wouldn’t week…if it wasn’t for the voucher agent I wouldn’t have been able to pay for it.”have been able to pay for it.”

LakeLake““You know it is impossible at $7.85 an hourYou know it is impossible at $7.85 an hour””

MarionMarion““look at us we are all single mothers, we all work look at us we are all single mothers, we all work

40/50 hours a week just to pay the rent….I don’t 40/50 hours a week just to pay the rent….I don’t know what I would have done”know what I would have done”

St. JosephSt. Joseph““If I make anything more than what I make, they’ll If I make anything more than what I make, they’ll

pull my child care”pull my child care”


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DreamingDreaming

AllenAllen““An ideal child care would be affordable and you know that your child is An ideal child care would be affordable and you know that your child is

watched like a hawk every second”watched like a hawk every second”

LakeLake““Trust, trusting relationship with your kids, dependable, pick them up, drop Trust, trusting relationship with your kids, dependable, pick them up, drop

them off and it just really trusting somebody”them off and it just really trusting somebody”

MarionMarion““You can drop them off whenever you want to”You can drop them off whenever you want to”

St. JosephSt. Joseph““Longer hours, come to my home”Longer hours, come to my home”


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CommunityCommunity AllenAllen

Affordable and closer to work placesAffordable and closer to work places

MarionMarion““If you qualify for this program and send our If you qualify for this program and send our

child to day care so you can go to work”child to day care so you can go to work”

St. JosephSt. Joseph““People that are working and going to school People that are working and going to school

and trying to do the right thing should get the and trying to do the right thing should get the extra help”extra help”


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Planning for a rainy day:Planning for a rainy day:Low income working poor familiesLow income working poor families

SupportsSupports FamilyFamily SubsidiesSubsidies

ChallengesChallenges Single parentsSingle parents Safety/trustSafety/trust Need for back up Need for back up

carecare Fragile balanceFragile balance


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ImplicationsImplications

Child care qualityChild care quality Parental Parental

education/expectationseducation/expectations AccessibilityAccessibility FlexibilityFlexibility Affordability Affordability Employer supportEmployer support Policy designPolicy design


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THANK YOU THANK YOU

Documents

EECERA conference Nicosia, Cyprus, August 28-31, 2002 1 Low Income Families’ Search for Quality Child Care Four Community Profiles Demetra Evangelou Susan