Complex Decisions between Care and Paid Work: A Qualitative Study on the Demand for ChildcareServices in Mexico City

Miriam Muller and Martha Jaen

No 9452, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: This study aims to improve the understanding of the barriers and enabling factorsdetermining the demand for childcare in Mexico City. The study is based on focus group discussions and individualin-depth interviews with mothers and fathers (married or living in a union) of children ages zero to six years. Thefindings of this qualitative analysis confirm that for parents in Mexico City, decisions in favor of or against theuse of childcare are based on: (1) the interplay between women's aspirations, the role of work in their lives,and the additional support they have; and (2) their perceptions of the care available, including convenience,overall quality, perceived opportunities for positive child development, and financial and non-financial costs (safetyand risks to the child’s well-being). The findings suggest that significant differences exist between women with highereducation and those with lower levels of education living in different parts of the city (and from differentsocioeconomic backgrounds: middle-class vis-a-vis vulnerable women). The observed gaps are due to differences in theirability to make informed choices, their aspirations and work opportunities, the alternative support options available tothem, and their ability to adapt to the childcare supply. These results highlight the relevance of: (1) promoting amore balanced distribution of childcare responsibilities between men and women; (2) communicating more transparentlythe benefits of using childcare services and the measures taken to ensure the safety and positive development ofchildren; and (3) adapting the childcare centers' functioning to the needs of working parents.

Keywords: Educational Sciences; Labor Markets; Social Inclusion & Institutions; Gender and Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-10-26
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