2011 The Palm Beach County Family Study (Full Report)

ecause it is of particular interest in this study. This variable was found to be a significant predictor ofchildcare use in year 2 and year 4 but not in year 3.As presented in Table 37, the factors associated with increased odds of using childcare included themothers’ employment status, enrollment status, residence in the Glades TGA, and race/nativity. As inprevious years, the strongest predictors of childcare use were maternal employment and enrollment inschool. The odds that mothers who were currently working (and not in school) were using childcare were23 times those of mothers who were neither working nor in school. Similar results were found formothers currently in school or combining work and school. We also found that the odds that mothersresiding in the Glades used childcare were nearly 3 times those of mothers outside of the Glades.Finally, we found that black mothers—both U.S.- and foreign-born—were more likely than foreign-bornHispanic mothers to use childcare. Together, all of the regression variables explained 34 percent of thevariation in childcare use, which suggests that other factors also influence childcare arrangements. 34Table 37. Logistic Regression Predicting Use of Nonparental Preschool Childcare at Year 5 aPredictor Variable Log Odds Ratio Sig.Mother currently working (not in school) 3.1 23.1 ***Mother currently in school or working and in school 3.2 23.5 ***Mother neither working nor in school (excluded category) — — —Mother high school graduate or GED 0.5 1.7 NSMother has post–high school education 0.2 1.3 NSHousehold is at or below the poverty level 0.3 1.4 NSIn Glades TGA 1.0 2.8 **Currently has a husband/partner 0.3 1.3 NSNumber of children 0.1 1.1 NSAll other racial/ethnic groups 0.8 2.2 NSBlack and foreign-born 0.9 2.5 *Black and U.S.-born 0.9 2.5 ^Hispanic and U.S.-born 0.2 1.2 NSHispanic and foreign-born (excluded category) — — —Frequency of support from friends/family 0.1 1.1 NSχ 2 (13, N=335) 150.98Pseudo R 2 .34a Weights were not applied to this analysis.^p < .10, *p < .05, **p < .01, or ***p < .001.34 We also ran a regression to examine the predictors of using formal childcare (i.e., a center-based program or family childcare).We found that mothers’ employment/enrollment status and residence in the Glades are still significant. In addition, black foreignbornmothers are significantly more likely than Hispanic foreign-born mothers to use formal care, although black U.S.-bornmothers are not. Finally, we found that mothers with a high school education and those with more children are also more likely touse formal care.Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago 63