Child care stability affects child and family outcomes. Stability reflects the time dimension of a child care arrangement. Although stability does not guarantee positive outcomes, instability appears to decrease the likelihood of achieving them. Some level of stability is a necessary, although not sufficient, characteristic of care that meets children's needs. Child care stability is of special concern for children in low income families because child care impacts are greatest for these children, and current welfare policies result in more low-income children in nonparental care. This study increases understanding of child care stability through (a) an analysis of findings from stability studies over 30 years, (b) an examination of relationships of the four major stability measures, and (c) presentation of results from an analysis of the stability of subsidized child care arrangements in Oregon. The analysis of stability studies documented lack of consistency in conceptualization, measures, and methodology. These inconsistencies limit comparisons of reported stability findings and confidence in estimates of child care stability that have been reported. Examination of the four stability measures found that the three child-level measures appear to describe the same construct as they are highly correlated. The fourth stability measure is at the level of the arrangement and captures a distinctly different aspect of stability. Stability levels of subsidized arrangements in Oregon appear lower than those found in nationally representative samples but similar to levels found in populations participating in public assistance programs. About a third of children had very stable care but others had high levels of instability. Fifty percent of arrangement spells ended by 3 months, even when children were observed for 36 months. The study concludes with recommendations for future research. / Graduation date: 2005

Thesis (Ph.D.) - James Cook University, 2005. / Typescript (photocopy) Bibliography: leaves 172-189.

There are well-established links between early exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and negative developmental outcomes for young children. Emerging evidence suggests that early care and education (ECE), an existing and widely used resource within children’s communities, may be a promising means to support and address the needs of young children experiencing adversity. However, little is known about ECE or ECE policies in the IPV context. This three-paper dissertation employs a triangulation mixed methods design to address these gaps in our current knowledge. Chapter 2 investigates the influences of ECE on the behavioral outcomes of children exposed to IPV. Four waves of national, longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Well Being Survey (N=3,108) were used to examine the moderating roles of informal, formal home-based, and center-based child care on respective associations between children’s IPV exposure and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems (IBP, EBP). Results from ordinary least squares regression models with interaction terms and subgroup analyses using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) suggest that non-parental child care, particularly center-based care, can attenuate the negative influences of some forms of IPV exposure on young children’s behavioral outcomes. Chapter 3 draws on primary data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 17 IPV survivor mothers of young children aged 0–5 to understand their ECE and child care subsidy decisions and arrangements. A data-driven thematic analysis revealed pervasive influences of IPV on mothers’ ECE access and utilization. Despite IPV perpetrators’ interference with and restraint of ECE, mothers sought child care arrangements they believed would enhance children’s well-being, particularly with respect to children’s IPV-related needs and safety. Social and structural factors (e.g., social isolation and ECE affordability and availability) also importantly influenced mothers’ ECE arrangements, and child care subsidies were a critical resource for some. Chapter 4 explores the mechanisms by which ECE can promote children’s resilience during and following IPV exposure, using data from the same 17 interviews with IPV survivor mothers as well as interviews with 6 ECE professionals with experience working with children exposed to IPV. Results from data-driven thematic analyses indicate that reduced exposure to IPV and associated risks, prevention of abusers’ unsafe contact with children, nurturance, enriching activities, stability, a balance of consistency and flexibility, access to therapeutic services, and support of children’s emotion regulation and social development may serve as key protective mechanisms for children exposed to IPV within ECE environments. / 2026-01-08T00:00:00Z