Strongest Predictor of Positive Attitudes Towards Child Care?

12/08/2005

Strongest Predictor of Positive Attitudes Towards Child Care?

Around here, we don’t look backwards for very long… We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
Walt Disney

What would you say if I asked you: "What is the greatest predictor of positive attitudes towards non-parental care and maternal employment?" It should not be surprising that those who experienced non-parental care as children had more favorable attitudes toward such care and toward maternal employment than did home-reared participants. According to a just published article, "Females in particular had significantly more positive attitudes than males toward non-parental daycare and maternal employment, as well as higher expectations regarding the rewards of parenting. Among several demographic variables considered in this study (including age, sex, years in college, employment status, parents’ marital status, family size, and birth order), early child care history was the strongest predictor of attitudes toward child care and maternal employment."

I guess all we have to do is wait for another 20 years and the next generation may finally have strong positive views about the value of home and center child care and early education. For the complete article, please see: Shpancer, N. and Bennett-Murphy, L. (2006, January). The link between daycare experience and attitudes toward daycare and maternal employment. Early Child Development & Care, Vol. 176, 1, 87-97.

Contributed by Michael Kalinowski.

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