This marked the first substantial decline in the use of family day care providers since the mid-1980's. Between 1988 and 1991 the proportion of preschoolers who were cared for in organized child care facilities also declined from 26 to 23 percent. Recent declines in these services may reflect the desires of parents to cut down on child care costs and move to more parental supervision of their children whenever possible, or they may indicate more difficulties in securing licensed family day care providers. In contrast to declines in the usage of family day care providers and organized child care facilities, father care, while remaining at about the 15 percent level between 1977 and 1988, sharply increased to 20 percent by fall 1991. 56 percent of preschoolers whose fathers were out of work for 4 or more months in 1991 were cared for by dad while mom was at work.
Mothers working evening or night shifts have an easier time arranging for in-home care.
The type of shift that a mother works makes a big difference in the kind of primary care arrangements she uses. Children whose mothers work day shifts are more likely to be cared for away from home than children whose mothers work nonday shifts. Use of organized child care facilities was also more prevalent for children of women working day shifts, accounting for 30 percent of all child care arrangements. Children of women working nonday shifts used these facilities less frequently, amounting to 14 percent of all child care arrangements. Working nonday rather than day shifts may offer more opportunities for women with preschoolers to secure care for their children at home, especially by the children's fathers.