Working families' use of child care

Abstract

This presentation examines the characteristics of working families in Australia who use - or don't use - child care. Using data from the first wave of 'Growing Up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children' (LSAC), from 2004, the presentation features charts outlining the employment rates of one parent and two parent families, working hours, age of children (whether infant or preschool age), and the use of care, including informal care by relatives, partners, and others, and formal care, including after school programs, preschool, and day care. Reasons for using or not using care are also listed. The authors found parental employment characteristics affect child care arrangements, with working families having a higher use of non-parental care than families with a parent not in paid employment.