“This brief investigates the number of child care arrangements that children under five with employed mothers use each week nationally and across selected states. State patterns in the use of multiple child care arrangements are examined because it is likely that great diversity exists across states, due in part to differences in the costs and supply of child care as well as variations in labor force patterns and child care policies. It is important to note that the consistent weekly use of multiple child care arrangements is being investigated here, not the stability of child care arrangements over time (i.e., the number of different sequential arrangements that a child may experience over a certain time period). This analysis of the use of multiple child care arrangements is important because such practices represent an important dimension of the child care experiences of America’s families. We begin by examining national and state estimates of the number of arrangements used by children under five with employed mothers. We focus on how these patterns vary for children of different ages (infants and toddlers contrasted with three- and four-year-olds) and for children in low- and higher-income families. Finally, we analyze the types of child care arrangements that are combined when parents use multiple arrangements for their children.”- Publisher’s description
