Parents prioritize trust in choosing child care, study reveals

A recent study has revealed that trust is a critical factor for parents when selecting child care, with many opting for home-based solutions or depending on family, friends, and neighbors. However, experts have raised concerns about the lack of adequate support for these informal systems, as most policies tend to support formal child care centers.

Philip Fisher, the director of the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, remarked, "I think it’s not necessarily surprising, but an ongoing issue of importance is there is tremendous demand for infant and toddler care."

The research, conducted by the RAPID Survey Project from the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, was released in March. It highlighted that trust, followed by factors such as affordability and availability, is paramount for parents.

The survey showed that around 40% of respondents lean on friends, family, and neighbors (FFN) for child care, with a portion using unpaid FFN care.

Fisher stated, "We're not seeing knowledge of child development as the most important issue, we're seeing there are issues of convenience and trust and comfort level."

Natalie Renew, the executive director of Home Grown, emphasized the insufficient support for home-based child care systems. "It’s often excluded entirely or it’s an afterthought," she noted. Renew criticized the tendency to overlook smaller, home-based centers and FFN networks.

Fisher highlighted ongoing challenges within formal child care systems, citing low pay and instability as pressing issues. "The increase in precarity … it’s a problem; I see at epidemic levels," Fisher said.

The report also pointed out challenges faced by rural families. A Montana respondent mentioned difficulties in finding child care and competitive rates, while a Louisiana family reported traveling significant distances for part-time care.

Fisher noted that the absence of sufficient child care could lead to adverse effects on both children and parents. "Without a wide-scale intervention, it’s not likely to get better without third-party intervention," he explained.

Some states, like Oregon and Washington, D.C., have initiated funding increases for early childhood care providers, but Renew has noted potential issues surrounding deregulation, stating, "We’re not talking about a friend who lives on the corner who’s caring for 15 kids and has no license; that is illegal."

Both Fisher and Renew agree that more effort is needed to support FFN networks for child care. Fisher commented, "We see these things happen at the local level — we just have to see them at a national level."