Childcare and parental work schedules: a comparison of childcare arrangements among Finnish, British and Dutch dual-earner families

Abstract

This study examined the association between parental work schedules and non-parental childcare arrangements among dual-earner families in Finland, the Netherlands and the UK. Data from the ‘Families 24/7’ web survey were used, including 937 parents with children aged 0–12 years. Results showed a negative association between non-standard work and formal childcare across all countries. A similar association was found for using a combination of formal and informal childcare, whereas solely using informal childcare was not associated with work characteristics. Country differences showed that, compared with Finland, the probability of using formal childcare was lower in the Netherlands, whereas the probability of using informal childcare was higher in the UK. Interaction effects showed that the negative association between non-standard work and formal childcare was stronger in the Netherlands, compared with Finland. Also, the positive association between working hours and formal childcare was weaker for Dutch and British parents. This study identified the challenges that parents face when arranging childcare outside of office hours. Although the supply of formal childcare seems to be insufficient, using informal childcare introduces other potential problems. Because a considerable proportion of employees work non-standard hours, governments should help these parents in meeting their need for high quality childcare.

Este estudio examinó la asociación entre el horario laboral de los padres y los centros de cuidado preescolar en parejas de doble ingreso de Finlandia, Países Bajos y Reino Unido. Se utilizaron datos del cuestionario ‘Families 24/7’, basado en 937 padres con hijos de 0 a 12 años. Los resultados mostraron una asociación negativa entre el trabajo no-estándar y el cuidado formal en todos los países. Una asociación similar se encontró para la combinación de cuidado infantil formal y no formal, mientras que únicamente el uso de cuidado infantil informal no se asoció a las características laborales. Las diferencias entre países mostraron que, en comparación con Finlandia, la probabilidad de utilizar cuidados formales es menor en los Países Bajos, mientras que la probabilidad de utilizar el cuidado parental informal fue mayor en el Reino Unido. Los efectos de interacción mostraron que la asociación negativa entre el trabajo no-estándar y el cuidado formal es más fuerte en los Países Bajos, en comparación con Finlandia. Además, la asociación positiva entre las horas de trabajo y el cuidado formal de los niños fue menos notoria para los padres holandeses y británicos. El estudio identifica los desafíos a los que se enfrentan los padres para organizar el cuidado de los hijos fuera del horario laboral. Aunque la oferta de cuidado formal parece ser insuficiente, el uso del cuidado informal introduce problemas potenciales. Dado que una proporción considerable de los padres trabaja en horario no-estándar, los gobiernos deberían ayudar a los padres para garantizar un cuidado infantil de calidad.

Keywords:

• childcare
• parental work schedules
• non-standard working hours
• comparative research

Palabras claves:

• cuidado parental
• horarios laborales de los padres
• horarios laborales no-estándar
• investigación comparativa

Notes on contributors

Melissa Verhoef, is a Ph.D. candidate at the Sociology Department of Utrecht University. Her research interests include parents' labour force participation, parent–child interactions and child well-being.

Mia Tammelin, is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy of the University of Jyväskylä. Her research topics include everyday life of families, working time, work and family interaction and 24/7 economy.

Vanessa May, is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester. Her research has focused on post-divorce parenting, lone motherhood and intergenerational relationships.

Anna Rönkä, is a Professor at the Department of Early Childhood Education of the University of Jyväskylä. Her research has focused on families with young children, diary studies and family interventions. She is the responsible leader of the ‘Families 24/7’ research consortium.

Anne Roeters, is an Assistant Professor at the Sociology Department of Utrecht University. Her research interests include family sociology, time use research and work-life balance.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Academy of Finland [grant number 251096].