Grandparents' and domestic helpers' childcare support: Implications for well-being in Asian families

Objective: To investigate whether childcare support from grandparents and domestic helpers is associated with family well-being in Singapore, with a focus on parent and child psychological well-being as well as the quality of interactions and relationships within the family. Background: Research on the implications of childcare support from maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents, and domestic helpers for family well-being remains a gap in the literature. This involvement could enhance family well-being through instrumental assistance and emotional encouragement in childcare. However, it could also create a negative emotional climate for families if the relationship of the mother with the grandparents or domestic helper is marked by conflict. Method: This study used questionnaire data from 615 mother-child dyads from the birth cohort, Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes. The exposure variable was children's caregiving arrangements assessed at child ages 4.5 and 6 years, and the outcome variables were maternal well-being, maternal parenting, and family functioning measured at concurrent assessments, and child well-being assessed at age 10 years. Results: Childcare support from maternal grandparents, but not from paternal grandparents or domestic helpers, showed concurrent associations with warmer parenting by mothers at child ages 4.5 and 6 years. Early childcare support from domestic helpers at child age 6 years predicted higher depressive symptoms in children at age 10 years. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that childcare support from maternal grandparents, who are most likely to share a close bond and value system with mothers, could be most beneficial for families in Singapore.