Sustaining family child care providers' psychosocial wellness

This research project examined the psychosocial wellness of Family Child Care Providers (FCCPs) using a mixed methods approach.The two main goals of this study were to explore psychosocial influences upon FCC workforce participation and psychosocial influences upon professional development participation. Using an integrated theoretical framework based on work-family border theory (Clark, 2000) and social convoy theory (Kahn & Antonucci, 1980), this study examined the implications of the co-location of FCC work and personal family life upon the daily experiences of FCCPs. Analyses of an administrative survey of FCCPs (N = 1392) were paired with analyses of qualitative interviews (N = 24) in an explanatory sequential design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007) Multivariate analyses of administrative survey data revealed that higher levels of psychosocial stress predicted greater likelihood of consideration of exit from FCC work. The strength of respondents' identity as early care and education (ECE) professionals and their perception of peer support were associated with their professional development participation. Multivariate analyses of psychosocial stress indicated that higher numbers of children receiving child care subsidies in an FCCP's program were negatively associated with their levels of psychosocial stress. In the qualitative data, the dimensions of providers' identities as ECE professionals and family members in relation to their child care work seemed to influence their routines, social support networks, and participation in ECE professional development. Difficulty balancing the demands of child care work and personal family also appeared to influence FCC routines and participation in ECE professional development. Implications for tailoring professional development and technical assistance efforts to meet the needs of FCCPs and sustain their participation in the child care workforce are discussed in detail.