Abstract

Objective

High quality child care positively affects long-term development in children and is a necessary support for parents who work or are in school. We assessed the association between child care setting and parents’ report of difficulties with ability to work and/or further their education (“child care constraints”) or material hardships among families with low incomes.

Methods

Cross-sectional data were analyzed from families in Minneapolis, MN with children aged six weeks to 48 months in child care from 2004-2017. Associations between child care setting (formal, informal relative, informal non-relative) and child care constraints or material hardships (household/child food insecurity, housing instability, energy instability) were examined.

Results

Among 1,580 families, 73.8% used informal care. Child care subsidy and public assistance program participation were higher among families utilizing formal care. Compared to formal care, families using informal relative or non-relative care had 2.44 and 4.18 greater adjusted odds of child care constraints, respectively. Families with children in informal non-relative care had 1.51 greater adjusted odds of household food insecurity. There were no statistically significant associations between informal relative care and household or child food insecurity, and no associations between child care setting and housing instability or energy insecurity.

Conclusions

Informal care settings – relative and non-relative – were associated with child care constraints, and informal non-relative care with household food insecurity. Investment to expand equitable access to affordable, high-quality child care is necessary to enable parents to pursue desired employment and education and reduce food insecurity.