Correlates of Childcare Arrangements Following a First Birth

• In Event: 3132 - Family and Work

Abstract

This paper provides analysis of the correlates of different childcare arrangements among families of women who experience their first birth (the transition to parenthood). I use data from the 2001, 2004, and 2008 Surveys of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to analyze the sociodemographic correlates of using different childcare arrangements (majority parental, majority relative, majority formal, and mixed). Multinomial logistic regression suggests that mother’s pre-birth employment and earnings, household structure, and the receipt of government subsidies are associated with childcare decisions following a first birth. A next step will be to examine the association between childcare arrangements chosen and maternal labor force participation.

Author

• Alyssa Browne, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill