Lived Experiences of Latinx Parents/Caregivers With Childcare in the United States: An Intersectional Analysis

• In Event: A Critical Women of Color Feminist Analysis of Childcare: Histories, Contemporary Issues, and Futures

Abstract

Parents/caregivers who identify as Latinx have experienced unique challenges to navigating childcare for their young children in the U.S. These include issues with access to care and adverse experiences they and their children may have had with systems and programs that have not historically prioritized fostering a context that is culturally sustaining.

As part of the larger study discussed in this session, this paper focuses on the lived experiences of Latinx parents/caregivers living in a major U.S. metroplex and U.S./Mexico border state. The Latinx parents’/caregivers’ lived experiences shared are intersectionally layered (Esposito & Evans-Winters, 2021; Hurtado, 2020) with systemic and everyday oppressions impacting their experiences with the childcare system due to their predominant use of Spanish and as they sought support of government childcare subsidies. Through interviews, Latinx parents/caregivers shared how their needs have been supported and ways in which they could be better supported. We also sought to learn about their experiences navigating the childcare subsidy system. The themes that emerged from this research are contextualized within the broader themes of the larger study discussed in this session, illustrating the unique circumstances of parents/caregivers who identify as Latinx and whose dominant language is Spanish.

The scholarly significance of this research is in its contribution to the literature about the current context of childcare from the perspective of Latinx parents/caregivers. The research was also conceptualized and analyzed through a women of color feminist lens, which is conducive to examining intersectionalities and matrices of power (Collins, 2008) that have impacted the lived experiences of Latinx and Other minoritized parents/caregivers utilizing childcare in the U.S.

Authors

• Antonieta Barces, University of North Texas
  Presenting Author

• Paty Abril-Gonzalez, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Maria Jose Ruiz Gonzalez, University of Texas - Austin
  Presenting Author