CHILD-CARE TRENDS SHIFT AS MORE MOTHERS WORK

In 1987, 55% of women with preschoolers worked in the paid labor force, up from 35% in 1977. During that decade, trends in child care also changed. According to the Census Bureau, most children under the age of five are cared for in a home setting—66% in 1987. But out-of-home care has become more common in the past 10 years. In 1977, only 13% of children under the age of five were in organized child-care facilities. In 1987, the share was 24%. The share of preschoolers watched in their own home has dropped to 30% from 34%, and the share watched in someone else's home has fallen to 36% from 41%. The share of children cared for by their mother at work, either in the home or workplace environment, declined to 9% from 11%. Even with a stable child-care arrangement in place, disruptions occur. Altogether, 7% of working mothers with children under the age of 15 lost time from work in the month before the survey because child-care arrangements went awry. Women whose youngest child was one to two years old had the highest rate, 10%.