Childcare in the Family

The ‘Childcare in the Family’ project is investigating the reasons why parents decide to care for 3–6-year-old children within the family. The results of the research are intended to provide information about how to make the importance and value of public institutional care clearer to parents. The project is being conducted jointly by the German Youth Welfare Institute and the University of Dortmund on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Ministry for Generations, Families, Women and Integration in the state of North Rhine–Westphalia.
The study is designed in two stages, with an initial qualitative phase and a second quantitative phase. In the initial, exploratory phase, guided interviews are being conducted with approximately 50 parents who care for their 3–6-year-old children within the family. The selection of the families is based on the findings of the microcensus and DJI supervisory study on families whose children do not attend child day-care centres. In the second phase, a quantitative study is to be carried out on the basis of the reasoning contexts identified during the first phase. The analysis of these data will make it possible to obtain typical statements about each pattern of reasoning for caring for the children within the family setting.
The results will be documented and made available to specialists from the end of March 2008.