Emotional Social Support From Childcare Providers and Maternal Well-Being: Meaningful Impact in Early Relationships

• In Event: Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Topic - Social Policy

Abstract

In the last half century, American society has experienced an increase in infant and toddler care experiences in non-parental care outside the home (Fortner-Wood et al.,1998). The mother-caregiver relationship is unique territory for both parties to be engaged in a relationship that is compulsory, yet emotionally charged with a young child at the center (Minke et al., 2014). Supportive linkages between a child’s home life and childcare experiences have been researched utilizing an ecological systems theory frame with the majority of past work focusing on child outcomes (Owen et al., 2000). The current study is grounded in previous research, affirming the mother-caregiver interaction as influential to the developmental trajectory of the child. However, the aim of the study is to extend the current literature by acknowledging that the mother-caregiver relationship alone may impact the psychological well-being of mothers.

The primary goal of the present study was to examine whether mothers utilizing childcare for the first time experienced emotional social support from their child’s caregiver as evidenced through maternal ratings of confidence and affiliation in their child’s caregiver. The current study sample was taken from a larger study on mother-caregiver relationships and consisted of mothers (N = 533) who currently have (or have had) a child enrolled in a licensed childcare center (infancy through prekindergarten). Maternal well-being (PERMA-Profiler, Butler & Kern, 2016), Mother-Caregiver Relationship Quality (PCRS; Elicker, Noppe, Noppe, & Forter, 2003), and Maternal Parenting Stress (PSS; Berry & Jones, 1995) were all assessed.

A series of hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to examine the strength of associations between independent variables (i.e., maternal demographic data, maternal parenting stress, and maternal reported caregiver emotional social support) and maternal well-being. The analysis revealed that in model one, demographic characteristics contributed significantly to the model, [F (4,528) = 5.29, p < .001)] and accounted for 3.1% of the variation in maternal well-being (R2 = .04). Adding the Parenting Stress Scale score in the second regression significantly improved the model fit [F (1,527) = 182.30, p < .001)] and the model explained 27.9% of the variation in maternal well-being. The final model added the maternal emotional social support variable. This explained an additional 3.2% of the variation in maternal well-being over model 2 and this change in R² was significant F (1,526) = 24.47, p < .001). In the final regression, the variables with significant coefficients (p < .001) were maternal education, parenting stress and maternal emotional social support (b = .18). Together, the six independent variables accounted for 31% of variation in maternal well-being.

In sum, the findings from this study are consistent with the hypothesized outcome that mothers’ experiences of emotional social support from childcare providers result in better overall well-being. The current research bolsters discussion on how public policy makers and practitioners can best support mothers in the increasingly necessary transition to non-parental care utilization. Furthermore, by focusing advocacy efforts on the elements that constitute an emotionally social supportive relationship between caregivers and mothers, there is potential to impact family well-being overall.

Authors

• Jes Fyall Cardenas, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
  Presenting Author

• Malinda Colwell, Texas Tech University
  Non-Presenting Author