Whether a mother's working outside the home is good or bad for young children may depend on the quality of replacement caregivers and the amount of income earned. Family and community social support. With the increased entry of women into the labor force, the major form of social support needed is provision of competent alternative caregivers. Institutional child care is rarely available in developing countries, and child care comes at a high social cost if older girls are kept out of school to care for young children. Psychosocial care the provision of affection and attention to the child includes physical, visual, and verbal interactions between caregiver and child.
Practices depend on cultural norms.
For example, when asked to attract an infant's attention, Native American women gazed at the child, while Euro-American women spoke to the child. The purpose of the action, however, was the same. Although much remains to be learned about the role of care and how to measure it, a better understanding of these issues offers policymakers the tools to design improved interventions for child nutrition and health.