Abstract
This exploratory study examined social and economic factors associated with the after-school child care decisions of parents (n=41) of elementary school children in a medium-sized community. Self-care (latchkey), family day care, and center arrangements were represented in the sample. Differences in type of arrangement were found to be related to marital status, city vs. rural residence, parental preferences for characteristics of after-school arrangements, and child's gender, age, and arrangement preferences. There were no differences across arrangement types regarding the perceived safety, informal resources, and age of the neighborhood. Cost was not a significant variable, although lower-income parents showed greater sensitivity to costs of after-school care. Directions for future research are discussed.
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This study was supported by a grant from the Office of the Dean, School of Consumer and Family Sciences, Purdue University. We wish to thank Jill Strand, Joanne Evers, and Ken Jobst for their assistance in conducting interviews; Linda Wark for supervising data coding; and Connie Wiemann for facilitating data analyses.
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Powell, D.R., Widdows, R. Social and economic factors associated with parents' decisions about after-school child care: An exploratory study in a medium-sized community. Child Youth Care Forum 16, 272–282 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01085830
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01085830