Formal family day care in Wellington: users' and minders' viewpoints

Abstract

This thesis examined the situation of the mother taking outside employment and sharing with a Family Day Care Service minder, her parenting responsibilities for an infant. The reactions of users, minders and families in particular the reported responses of the infants were studied. The concepts of role incompatibility and role strain were applied to the users' responses for an in depth examination. Frequency scores of the attitude scales were used in describing and discussing the attitudes related to minding arrangements and some provisions of the Wellington Family Day Care Service. The development of the Family Day Care Service is documented. It was found that most users worked to meet financial needs precipitated by normal contingencies in life e.g. unplanned parenthood and financial crisis. All the users liked their jobs as well as felt some guilt about their working. The use of the role incompatibility resolution model highlighted the role strain users in the New Zealand society had to cope with. It was evident that becoming and being a user involved complex social processes and demanded a certain degree of organisational ability and motivation. The necessary conditions for a successful minding arrangement were that a minder loves children and has a clean safe home with play space, that users and minders are similar in socio-economic standing, have good communication, are friendly to each other and receive the support of the Family Day Care Service workers.