Predictors of Childcare Suspension and Expulsion: Childcare Site Demographics and Childcare Provider Emotional Burnout

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - School Readiness/Childcare

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:
Multiple studies have indicated that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and diverse ethnic-racial backgrounds are suspended at higher rates than children from white and higher socioeconomic backgrounds (Sullivan, Klingbeil, Van Norman, 2019). Previous research has suggested that childcare suspension and expulsion is related to providers’ job satisfaction, in addition to sites' ethnic-racial makeup (Gilliam & Shahar, 2006; Gilliam, Maupin, Reyes, 2016). Identifying and clarifying predictors could inform effective, evidence based-interventions. The present study serves to address gaps in knowledge around childcare suspension and expulsion, and attempts to identify predictors of both phenomena amongst a large sample of Minnesota childcare providers, from center-based and home-based sites.

METHOD:
Data were drawn from the Minnesota Early Care and Education Study. Childcare providers from 330 sites completed an online survey about their professional experiences and well-being. Providers were selected from the pool of licensed family- and center-based childcare sites across the state using stratified random sampling (see Table 1).

Key outcome measures include reports of how many children were suspended or expelled since September 1, 2018. Predictor variables are listed in Table 2. Provider emotional burnout was self-reported using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach, Leiter, Schaufeli, 2008).

RESULTS:
Table 2 displays regression analysis results. Regarding suspensions, sites that had a higher percentage of non-white children had higher numbers of suspensions (β = 0.21, p < 0.05; β = 0.25, p <0 .01, respectively) in the full sample and in center-based sites only. Additionally providers who endorsed higher emotional/professional support suspended greater numbers of children in center-based sites only. The other predictors in the model, including emotional burnout, were not significantly associated with suspension rates.

Regarding expulsions, providers who had received any professional support services were more than twice as likely to expel a child (OR = 2.18; p < 0.05) in the full sample. Additionally, two factors significantly predicted the number of expulsions: emotional exhaustion (β = 0.17, p < 0.05) and years of professional experience (β = -0.12, p < 0.05).

Providers working at sites with higher percentages of non-white children were more likely to have expelled any children (OR = 1.03; p < 0.05), and in center-based sites only, also expelled more children (β = .31, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that classroom racial makeup, provider emotional exhaustion, number of support services received, and years of professional experience are all implicated in childcare suspension and expulsion, with some variation across site type (e.g. home- versus center-based sites). This indicates that interventions focused on supporting providers who have less professional experience and/or who work at more racially-diverse sites are needed. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of various interventions for childcare providers and the children they serve.

Authors

• Tripat K Rihal, Fordham University
  Presenting Author

• Christina Mondi-Rago, Boston Children's Hospital
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sophia Magro, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elizabeth A Carlson, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author