Poster #182 - Quality Vs. Convenience: How Low-Income Parents Choose Home- and Center-Based Childcare

• In Event: 3-106 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Section - School Readiness/Childcare

Integrative Statement

Overview:
Over 60% of U.S. children are enrolled in non-parental childcare (Chaudry, Henly, & Meyers, 2010). Quality is an important component of childcare; high-quality early education programs can result in lasting gains for children and society (Heckman, 2006). While low-income parents who qualify for no-cost childcare consider quality and convenience when choosing childcare (Sandstrom & Chaudry, 2012), low-income parents who do not qualify for such programs select childcare using practical factors (Kim & Fram, 2008), including location and cost (Seo, 2003). This finding is perhaps explained by unmet childcare needs in low-income communities which constrain selection of preferred care arrangements (Forry et al, 2013).
While much research has been conducted on low-income parents' choice of childcare, the majority focuses on parents choosing center- rather than home-based care (Zellman, Perlman, Le, & Setodji, 2008). The present study compared parents’ priorities when choosing center- and home-based childcare in an economically-disadvantaged Midwestern city by analyzing survey responses gathered during an ongoing evaluation of childcare improvement initiatives. This data adds to the literature by comparing parents who chose home-based to those who chose center-based childcare.

Participants and Method:
Data drawn from 154 parent surveys, as well as five parent interviews, were used to understand childcare selection. Parents were asked about factors which impacted their choices, and selected ‘no,’ ‘somewhat,’ or ‘yes’ to indicate whether the factor influenced their decision (see Table 2). The survey asked if parents were aware of the state's QRIS.
Home-care choosing parents were more likely to have a Bachelor’s or graduate degree than center-choosing parents (11% vs. 2%), and were more likely to be employed (93% vs. 66%). Parents who chose homes had higher average monthly incomes ($1868 vs. $1340) (see Table 1).

Results and Discussion
The top-rated reason for selecting programs for both surveyed parent groups was provision of a safe, healthy environment (87% center, 89% home). The next highest reason for center-choosing parents was proximity to their or a family member’s home (84%). The second most highly-rated reason for home-care parents was researching for fit and convenience (74%). 63% of home-choosing parents reported researching programs for quality contributed to their decision, while 45% of center-choosing parents reported this. Although about half (54% center, 45% home) of parents from each group reported awareness of QRIS ratings, few parents from either group (33% center, 22% home) said ratings impacted their decision. Interviews indicated both groups selected programs based on feelings of comfort with the environments, with home-choosing parents preferring a home-like environment and center-choosing parents preferring formalized settings.
These findings contradict research indicating low-income parents who qualify for no-cost childcare consider convenience and quality when choosing childcare (Sandstrom & Chaudry, 2012). Home-choosing parents, who had higher SES and were less likely to qualify for no-cost programs, were more likely to research programs for fit and quality. Although parents report researching programs for quality, less than a third use QRIS ratings. This suggests that parents use individual understandings of quality when selecting a program, which remains an understudied area.

Authors

• Leah Awkward-Rich, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Presenting Author

• Laura Scharphorn, Center for Early Education Research and Evaluation (CEERE), HighScope Educational Research Foundation
  Non-Presenting Author