A recent report from the National Center for Children in Poverty, based at Columbia University in New York City, seeks to clarify some of the assumptions made about informal child-care arrangements. It is often believed, the authors write, that parents who chose relatives as caregivers for their children are ignorant of the benefits of more formal child-care programs. Research, however, suggests that many of those parents already have tried other types of care.
Informal care is chosen for a variety of reasons.
One is that many parents prefer to leave infants and toddlers with someone who is familiar to them. Another is that informal care is often used by parents who only need part-time child care or by those work nontraditional or unpredictable hours. The report also says that poor families are more likely than others to use relatives for child care because family members will often work for little pay or in exchange for a favor. One is to offer informal providers training, such as workshops and home visits, as part of a larger effort to improve all types of care. Family-support programs, which often pay special attention to cultural issues, can also be useful.