Nontraditional hour child care provision, practices, and policies: Research findings on provider perspectives across states

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

Nontraditional hour (NTH) child care is defined as nonparental care offered before 7 a.m., after 6 p.m., or on the weekend and is used by approximately 40% of all young children in the U.S., especially those living in families with low-incomes. National data on NTH child care supply indicates that home-based, family, friend, and neighbor child care providers who are not licensed or paid, offer more child care during NTHs than any other type of child care setting. According to national data, only 8 percent of licensed centers and 34 percent of licensed child care homes offer care during these hours.

This panel is focused on understanding the experiences of the NTH child care workforce including licensed and license-exempt home-based providers and center-based providers. The four proposed papers contribute new findings about caregiving practices during NTH child care, working conditions experienced and hours offered by providers, and the policy factors and levers that may influence providers to offer or be willing to offer NTH care.

An array of innovative research methods are utilized across the four papers to contribute new understanding about the experiences of the NTH child care workforce. Together, these papers offer new insights into who is offering NTH child care, the caregiving practices that are prioritized for children and families, the burdens and opportunities of NTH child care work, and the policies that may influence whether and how child care providers offer care during NTH schedules. The first paper uses Photovoice methodology to describe home-based provider priorities around quality caregiving during NTH schedules. Findings suggest that NTH child care is not a monolithic type of care and may look different from standard hour child care. The second paper uses statewide surveys with both current NTH child care providers as well as those who are not offering care during these hours to explore providers’ working conditions and willingness to offer NTH child care for families. Findings describe providers’ positive motivations that coexist with substantial challenges including long work hours, sleep disruption, and work-family imbalance. The third paper uses administrative and survey data to examine the frequency of nonstandard hours offered by license-exempt home-based providers and their experience offering NTH care to children and families. The fourth paper employs linear probability modelling with national and state-level data to understand the likelihood of providers offering NTH child care based on state subsidy reimbursement policies.

Two discussants will bring perspectives on state policies related to expansion of high-quality NTH child care that meets the needs of working families. The first discussant is a senior state policy official focused on the early care and education workforce and sector innovation. The second discussant is a senior policy analyst focused on parents in the labor force and their child care needs. Together they will offer insights on how child care policies and systems can better meet the needs of the NTH child care workforce as well as the scheduling needs of working families and developmental needs of young children.

Policy Area

• Family and Child Policy

Chair

• Pamela Kumari Joshi, Boston University

Discussants

• Jocelyn Bonnes Bowne, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care

• sarah savage, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Organizer

• Juliet Bromer, Erikson Institute

Individual Presentations

• Child Care Provider Experiences and Working Conditions During Nontraditional Hours - Presenting Author: Alejandra Flores, Illinois Action for Children

• Can differential subsidy reimbursement rates help to build the supply of nontraditional hour care? - Presenting Author: Elizabeth Ann Wong, Boston University

• Insights on Non-Traditional Hour Care from Attendance Records and Provider Survey - Presenting Author: Colleen E. Graber, Public Policy Associates

• “Love, care, and support”: Home-based child care provider perspectives on nontraditional-hour child care quality - Presenting Author: Juliet Bromer, Erikson Institute