Alberta families' selection of child care arrangements : a descriptive study
Date
1993
Authors
Greenwood-Church, Margo Lainne
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Abstract
Alberta families' preferences for and use of child care arrangements for a designated target child in the family between the ages of zero and five years were investigated. Constraints to use of preferred care arrangements were also examined. Use and preference of child care arrangements and constraints were determined through a survey where respondents selected specific care types. The results indicate that most families use (in descending order of frequency): care in someone else's home by a non-relative, group care, spousal care and Interviewed Parent care. Most families prefer (in descending order of preference): spouse or partner care, care in a day care centre, care by another relative and care by a nonĀ-relative in another home. The majority of Alberta families use their preferred care arrangement. Families who did not use their preferred care arrangement identified care methods availability, cost, work and transportation as the most frequent constraints to their use. These findings support the findings of other Canadian provincial and regional survey studies and add to the growing awareness and understanding of child care needs in Alberta.