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Child-Care Instability and Behavior Problems: Does Parenting Stress Mediate the Relationship?
Alejandra Ros Pilarz1, Heather D Hill2
1School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1350 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, ; pilarz@wisc.edu.
Journal of Marriage and the Family
|November 7, 2017
Summary
Child care instability can lead to behavior problems in children. Parenting stress partially explains this link for single-mother and low-income families needing backup care.
Area of Science:
- Child development
- Family studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Child care instability is linked to behavioral issues in children.
- The mediating role of parenting stress is not fully understood.
- Vulnerability may be higher in low-income and single-mother families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between child care instability and behavior problems.
- To test parenting stress as a mediator.
- To examine differential effects in vulnerable families.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study (n=1,675).
- Employed structural equation modeling.
- Examined long-term instability, multiplicity, and use of back-up care.
Main Results:
- Parenting stress did not significantly mediate the care instability-behavior problem link in the general sample.
- Needing back-up care showed small positive associations with parenting stress in single-mother/low-income families.
- This stress partially mediated the link between back-up care needs and externalizing behaviors in these families.
Conclusions:
- Parenting stress is not a primary mediator for all types of child care instability.
- The need for back-up care may increase parenting stress, impacting behavior in vulnerable families.
- Targeted support for care stability may benefit at-risk families.
Keywords:
Fragile Families and Child Wellbeingchild care arrangementschild developmentearly childhoodparentingstressMore Related Videos
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