Nonmaternal Care's Association With Mother's Parenting Sensitivity: A Case of Self-Selection Bias?

Although attachment theory posits that the use of nonmaternal care undermines quality of mothers ' parenting, empirical evidence for this link is inconclusive. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,233), the authors examined the associations between nonmaternal care characteristics and maternal sensitivity during the first 3 years of children's lives, with special attention to selection effects and moderation by resource levels. Findings from fixed-effects regression models suggested that, on average, there is little relationship between nonmaternal care characteristics and maternal sensitivity, once selection factors are held constant. Some evidence of moderation effects was found, however. Excellent-quality care is related to more sensitivity for mothers with lower family income. Poor-quality care is related to lower sensitivity for single mothers, but not partnered mothers. In sum, nonmaternal care characteristics do not seem to have as much influence on mothers' parenting as attachment theory claims.Key Words: child-care arrangements, fixed-effects models, marital status, parenting styles, selection effects, socioeconomic status.Between 1975 and 1998, the labor force participation rate among mothers with children under age 3 increased from 34.3% to 62.2%. Since the peak in 1998, there has been no clear trend (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). The increase in maternal employment during the first 3 years of children's lives has led to scientific and public debates about how early nonmaternal care might influence the mother - child relationship and the development of children (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network [NICHD ECCRN], 2005). Although most research has examined the direct link between nonmaternal care and child outcomes, some researchers speculate that the extensive use of nonmaternal care may result in poorer child outcomes in part indirectly through undermining mothers' sensitive parenting (Belsky, 1999; Brazelton, 1986). Mothers' sensitive parenting generally refers to the extent to which mothers respond to their children's needs promptly, remain patient with their children, provide adequate stimulation, and engage in playful interactions (Belsky, 1999). Given that mothers' sensitive parenting is a key factor in shaping child outcomes (NICHD ECCRN, 2001, 2003), this speculation is important to explore, yet relatively little is known about how nonmaternal care may influence the degree to which mothers exhibit sensitive parenting.Attachment theory has led to the popular premise that daily separations from their children due to the extensive use of nonmaternal care may result in less sensitivity in mothers' parenting (Belsky, 1999, 2001). Some researchers, however, have questioned the universality of this link, emphasizing variations by contexts of mothers' lives (Clark, Hyde, Essex, & Klein, 1997). Furthermore, other researchers are skeptical about nonmaternal care having much influence on mothers' parenting quality, suggesting the possibility of a selection effect; that is, maternal sensitivity and choices made concerning nonmaternal care might both be dependent on unobserved characteristics, such as mothers' child rearing orientation (NICHD ECCRN, 1999).The purpose of the present research was to address this debate. Using longitudinal data from NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD), we reexamined the association between nonmaternal care characteristics and maternal sensitivity. To address variations by context, we used a stress - resource perspective and examined mothers' resources, such as family income and marital status, as moderators of the association. To address the selection issue, we used fixed-effects models that control for unmeasured characteristics that could confound the observed association, and we compared the results with those from randomeffects models. …