PATTERNS OF MATERNAL EMPLOYMENT AND CHILD-CARE FOR A SAMPLE OF 2-YEAR-OLDS

This article describes survey responses of 476 parents of two-year-olds regarding maternal employment and child care. Families were randomly selected from published birth announcements and contacted by phone. A total of 60% of mothers were employed and 40% of toddlers received nonparental care. About 20% of couples worked alternate shifts to share parenting. Maternal employment and child care were typically part-time. Patterns suggest that (a) many children of employed mothers are cared for exclusively by family members and (b) the more hours mothers are employed, the more likely children are to receive non-familial care.