IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ratsoc/v8y1996i4p453-495.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Choice Characteristics And Parents' Child-Care Decisions

Author

Listed:
  • Sandra L. Hofferth
  • Duncan D. Chaplin
  • Douglas A. Wissoker
  • Philip K. Robins

Abstract

Choice models are a key tool of empirically oriented rational choice researchers. However, most researchers do not have the information they need to adequately test their hypotheses and rely solely on individual characteristics of the choosers. The lack of information on the options and constraints parents face may lead researchers to conclude that choices are not rational rather than to question whether they have the appropriate data. This issue is particularly important for researchers interested in modeling child-care choice, since the characteristics of care are more amenable to policy intervention than the characteristics of persons. This paper estimates models of choice of child-care arrangement that include measures of price, quality and availability obtained directly from parents in the National Child Care Survey of 1990. This paper compares alternative estimates of the associations of these characteristics with mode choice. Adding care characteristics to models with individual characteristics improves the explanation of parental child-care choices. Using parent reports of the characteristics of arrangements they used and those they did not use produces results more consistent with expectations than estimates based on predicted values. The results also suggest that having parent reports on the characteristics of alternatives not used improves the precision of estimates of the associations between prices and child-care mode choices. Correcting for selectivity does not appear to be a reasonable substitute when such information is lacking.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandra L. Hofferth & Duncan D. Chaplin & Douglas A. Wissoker & Philip K. Robins, 1996. "Choice Characteristics And Parents' Child-Care Decisions," Rationality and Society, , vol. 8(4), pages 453-495, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ratsoc:v:8:y:1996:i:4:p:453-495
    DOI: 10.1177/104346396008004006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/104346396008004006
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/104346396008004006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ribar, David C, 1995. "A Structural Model of Child Care and the Labor Supply of Married Women," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(3), pages 558-597, July.
    2. Evelyn Lehrer & Seiichi Kawasaki, 1985. "Child care arrangements and fertility: An analysis of two-earner households," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 22(4), pages 499-513, November.
    3. Arleen Leibowitz & Linda Waite & Christina Witsberger, 1988. "Child care for preschoolers: Differences by child’s age," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 25(2), pages 205-220, May.
    4. Arleen Leibowitz & Jacob Alex Klerman & Linda J. Waite, 1992. "Employment of New Mothers and Child Care Choice: Differences by Children's Age," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 27(1), pages 112-133.
    5. Lehrer, Evelyn L, 1989. "Preschoolers with Working Mothers: An Analysis of the Determinants of Child Care Arrangements," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 1(4), pages 251-268.
    6. Yaeger, K. E., 1979. "Cost, convenience and quality in child care demand," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 293-313.
    7. Hotz, V.J. & Kilburn, M.R., 1995. "Regulating Child Care: The Effetcs of State Regulation on Child Care Demand and its Cost," Papers 95-03, RAND - Labor and Population Program.
    8. Blau, David M & Robins, Philip K, 1988. "Child-Care Costs and Family Labor Supply," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 70(3), pages 374-381, August.
    9. Murphy, Kevin M & Topel, Robert H, 2002. "Estimation and Inference in Two-Step Econometric Models," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 20(1), pages 88-97, January.
    10. James J. Heckman, 1974. "Effects of Child-Care Programs on Women's Work Effort," NBER Chapters, in: Marriage, Family, Human Capital, and Fertility, pages 136-169, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Kelvin J. Lancaster, 1966. "A New Approach to Consumer Theory," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 74(2), pages 132-132.
    12. Robert Hutchens & George Jakubson & Saul Schwartz, 1989. "AFDC and the Formation of Subfamilies," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 24(4), pages 599-628.
    13. Robins, Philip K & Spiegelman, Robert G, 1978. "An Econometric Model of the Demand for Child Care," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 16(1), pages 83-94, January.
    14. David C. Ribar, 1992. "Child Care and the Labor Supply of Married Women: Reduced Form Evidence," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 27(1), pages 134-165.
    15. Jean Kimmel, 1992. "Child Care and the Employment Behavior of Single and Married Mothers," Upjohn Working Papers 93-14, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    16. David Blau & Philip Robins, 1989. "Fertility, Employment, and Child-Care Costs," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 26(2), pages 287-299, May.
    17. Saul D. Hoffman & Greg J. Duncan, 1988. "A Comparison of Choice-Based Multinomial and Nested Logit Models: The Family Structure and Welfare Use Decisions of Divorced or Separated Women," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 23(4), pages 550-562.
    18. Connelly, Rachel, 1992. "The Effect of Child Care Costs on Married Women's Labor Force Participation," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(1), pages 83-90, February.
    19. Ross Stolzenberg & Linda Waite, 1984. "Local labor markets, children and labor force participation of wives," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 21(2), pages 157-170, May.
    20. David Blau & Philip Robins, 1991. "Child care demand and labor supply of young mothers over time," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 28(3), pages 333-351, August.
    21. Charles Michalopoulos & Philip K. Robins & Irwin Garfinkel, 1992. "A Structural Model of Labor Supply and Child Care Demand," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 27(1), pages 166-203.
    22. Connelly, Rachel & DeGraff, Deborah S & Levison, Deborah, 1996. "Women's Employment and Child Care in Brazil," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 44(3), pages 619-656, April.
    23. Sandra L. Hofferth & Douglas A. Wissoker, 1992. "Price, Quality, and Income in Child Care Choice," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 27(1), pages 70-111.
    24. Saul Hoffman & Greg Duncan, 1988. "Multinomial and conditional logit discrete-choice models in demography," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 25(3), pages 415-427, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maja Debacker, 2008. "Care strategies among high- and low-skilled mothers: a world of difference?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 22(3), pages 527-545, September.
    2. Xie, Weiyi & Zhang, Xiao & Xiao, Nan & Chan, Wai Ling, 2021. "Need for and concerns about non-parental childcare programs for infants and toddlers in Hong Kong: Voices of parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David Blau, 2003. "Child Care Subsidy Programs," NBER Chapters, in: Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, pages 443-516, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Olivier Guillot, 1996. "Activité féminine et garde des jeunes enfants : une analyse micro-économétrique," Économie et Prévision, Programme National Persée, vol. 122(1), pages 83-94.
    3. Rachel Connelly & Jean Kimmel, 1999. "Marital Status and Full-time/Part-time Work Status in Child Care Choices: Changing the Rules of the Game," JCPR Working Papers 97, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    4. Barrow, Lisa, 1999. "An Analysis of Women's Return-to-Work Decisions following First Birth," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(3), pages 432-451, July.
    5. Blau, David & Currie, Janet, 2006. "Pre-School, Day Care, and After-School Care: Who's Minding the Kids?," Handbook of the Economics of Education, in: Erik Hanushek & F. Welch (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 20, pages 1163-1278, Elsevier.
    6. Guyonne Kalb, 2009. "Children, Labour Supply and Child Care: Challenges for Empirical Analysis," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 42(3), pages 276-299, September.
    7. Ruthanne Deutsch, 1998. "¿Reditúa el cuidado infantil? Participación y remuneración de la fuerza laboral: efectos sobre el acceso al cuidado infantil en los barrios pobres de Río de Janeiro," Research Department Publications 4141, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    8. Ruthanne Deutsch, 1998. "How Early Childhood Interventions Can Reduce Inequality: An Overview of Recent Findings," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 50998, Inter-American Development Bank.
    9. Olivier Guillot, 2004. "Choix d’activité des mères vivant en couple et recours aux services de garde d’enfants," Économie et Prévision, Programme National Persée, vol. 162(1), pages 51-69.
    10. Chris Herbst & Burt Barnow, 2008. "Close to Home: A Simultaneous Equations Model of the Relationship Between Child Care Accessibility and Female Labor Force Participation," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 128-151, March.
    11. Müller, Kai-Uwe & Wrohlich, Katharina, 2020. "Does subsidized care for toddlers increase maternal labor supply? Evidence from a large-scale expansion of early childcare," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    12. Janet Gornick & Katherin Ross Phillips & Marcia Meyers, 1996. "Public Policies and the Employment of Mothers: A Cross-National Study," LIS Working papers 140, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    13. Ruthanne Deutsch, 1998. "Does Child Care Pay? Labor Force Participation and Earnings: Effects on Access to Child Care in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro," Research Department Publications 4140, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    14. M. Rebecca Kilburn & Ashlesha Datar, 2002. "The Availability of Child Care Centers in China and Its Impact on Child Care and Maternal Work Decisions," Working Papers 02-12, RAND Corporation.
    15. Deutsch, Ruthanne, 1998. "How Early Childhood Interventions Can Reduce Inequality: An Overview of Recent Findings," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6136, Inter-American Development Bank.
    16. Denise Doiron & Guyonne Kalb, 2005. "Demands for Child Care and Household Labour Supply in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 81(254), pages 215-236, September.
    17. Anna Matysiak & Dorota Węziak-Białowolska, 2016. "Country-Specific Conditions for Work and Family Reconciliation: An Attempt at Quantification," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(4), pages 475-510, October.
    18. David M. Blau & H. Naci Mocan, 2002. "The Supply Of Quality In Child Care Centers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(3), pages 483-496, August.
    19. Ribar, David C, 1995. "A Structural Model of Child Care and the Labor Supply of Married Women," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(3), pages 558-597, July.
    20. Joanna Osiñska, 2013. "Postawy wzglêdem euro i ich determinanty– przegl¹d badañ i literatury przedmiotu," Working Papers 70, Institute of Statistics and Demography, Warsaw School of Economics.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:ratsoc:v:8:y:1996:i:4:p:453-495. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.