‘I Can Kind of Flow How I Want to Flow’: Motivations and Perceived Contrasts of Providing Care in Home-Based Settings

• In Event: Understanding and Supporting Family Childcare Educators Beyond a Center-Based Lens

Abstract

The number of licensed family child care (FCC) providers in the United States, or providers who are licensed, certified or registered to provide care in their home, fell by 48% between 2005 and 2017 (NCECQA, 2019). This has implications for families who may prefer FCC settings, which includes families with infants/toddlers, families who work low-wage jobs and those with non-traditional hours (Office of Child Care, 2016; Paschall, 2019). A recent review of the factors that contribute to this decrease suggests that working conditions, business sustainability, and providers’ experiences participating in FCC systems play a role (Bromer et al., 2021). However, research on what draws providers to the field is more limited. Understanding providers’ motivations for starting an FCC program may provide states and policymakers with information needed to support providers already offering home-based care, as well as address the declining supply of FCC homes. This qualitative study addresses two research questions: 1) What motivates FCC providers to start their programs; and 2) What differences (if any) do providers perceive in working in home-based as opposed to center-based programs.

Participants (n=30) were registered FCC providers in one southeastern state who participated in a one-year pilot program with the state’s Department of Education designed to support collaboration and quality improvement in FCC settings. All providers were female and non-Hispanic and 96% identified as Black/African American. Providers responded to open-ended questions including their motivation to begin an FCC program and whether they would consider working in a center-based setting. Responses were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and grounded theory analytic techniques including the use of open coding to form initial categories and ultimately themes and subthemes, was used (Strauss & Corbin, 1997).

Three themes emerged in response to our first research question regarding providers’ motivations for starting their business. The first was that providers began their programs to fill a need for caring for their own children, grandchildren, or the children of friends. Within this theme, three subthemes emerged: That families had trouble finding consistent and reliable care; that centers could not always meet the individual needs of children (e.g., health needs); and that families/providers perceived centers as having safety deficits. The second theme was that providers began their programs so they could have more control and/or be their own boss.

Three themes emerged in response to our second research question regarding perceived differences between center- and home-based programs. The first was seeing home-based programs as offering a safer option. The second was that providers perceive home-based programs as allowing providers more control, with a subtheme emerging that for some providers, working in a center would only be feasible in a director role. The third was that home-based programs allow for more individualized attention and learning, with a subtheme that home-based programs can provide a more culturally relevant environment.

This research advances the study of why providers work in home-based programs, and how they perceive this work as different from center-based care. Discussion will center on implications for supporting providers in home-based settings.

Authors

• Erin Harmeyer, Rutgers University - New Brunswick
  Presenting Author

• Brittany Wittenberg Camp, Phoenix Children’s Hospital

• Catherine Anne Moon, Louisiana State University