• Mature Women cohort
• Young Women cohort

Mature Women cohort

Two sets of child care variables were collected: (1) information on the type and location of child care arrangements and (2) data on the extent of responsibility for various household tasks including child care. An additional series of questions in the "Current Labor Force Status" section of the questionnaire included "child care" and/or "family reasons" as reasons for being out of the labor force or unemployed.

Types and locations of child care arrangements

Data were collected on the types and locations of child care arrangements, plus select details on the costs, the number of hours child care was required, the preferred child care arrangements, the attitude toward child care/day care centers, and the impact of child care availability on job search activity. Details concerning child care arrangements are available for the 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1977, and 1995 interviews.

In general, different sets of questions were administered to respondents based upon their labor market status and/or the presence of children under age 18 in the household. Coding categories for the specific type of child care arrangement varied somewhat over the years but typically included: in own home by relative (specified and unspecified), in own home by nonrelatives, in relative's home, in nonrelative's home, and at day care or group care center.

The 1971 survey contained an expanded set of coding categories for types of child care arrangements and identified the kinds of child care arrangements utilized by a respondent for different-aged children. In 1995, the survey included questions on the number of days of work lost by the respondent because of child care and total child care costs for each child.

Finally, a set of variables created for certain survey years includes such information as types and location of child care arrangements, costs per hour worked, preferred child care arrangements, and changes in family child care responsibilities between survey years.

Extent of child care responsibility

Information on the extent of responsibility for various household tasks including child care was collected during the 1974, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, and 1989 interviews. The basic question in this series asked whether the task of child care, including helping with children, was the sole responsibility of the respondent (or another person) or whether the responsibility was shared (see also the Attitudes & Expectations section). The 1995 questionnaire asked whether the respondent had any responsibility for the care of children under the age of 18 who lived in her household.

Young Women cohort

Two sets of child care variables were collected: (1) information on the type and location of child care arrangements and (2) data on the extent of responsibility for various household tasks including child care. An additional series of questions in the Current Labor Force Status section of the questionnaire included "child care" and/or "family reasons" as reasons for being out of the labor force or unemployed.

Types and locations of child care arrangements

Data were collected on the types and locations of child care arrangements, plus select details on the costs, the number of hours child care was required, the preferred child care arrangements, the attitude toward child care/day care centers, and the impact of child care availability on job search activity. Details concerning child care arrangements are available for the 1968-72, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1983, and 1988-95 interviews.

In general, different sets of questions were administered to respondents based upon their labor market status and/or the presence of children under age 18 in the household. Coding categories for the specific type of child care arrangement varied somewhat over the years but typically included: in own home by relative (specified and unspecified), in own home by nonrelatives, in relative's home, in nonrelative's home, and at day care or group care center.

The 1971, 1991, 1993, and 1995 surveys contained an expanded set of coding categories for types of child care arrangements and identified the kinds of child care arrangements utilized by a respondent for different-aged children. The 1983 survey asked whether the respondent had lost any days of work in the last year due to child care problems; the 1991, 1993, and 1995 surveys included questions on the number of days of work lost by the respondent because of child care and total child care costs for each child. During the 1978 and 1983 survey years, data on child care arrangements were collected for only the youngest child.

Finally, a set of variables created for certain survey years includes such information as types and location of child care arrangements, costs per hour worked, preferred child care arrangements, and changes in family child care responsibilities between survey years.

Extent of child care responsibility

Information on the extent of responsibility for various household tasks including child care was collected during the 1975, 1978, 1982, 1983, and 1987 interviews. The basic question in this series asked whether the task of child care, including helping with children, was the sole responsibility of the respondent (or another person) or whether the responsibility was shared. Select interviews included a follow-up question on who (husband, children, hired help) shared this child care responsibility. In 1978 and 1983, respondents also gave their attitude toward caring for children as part of this series (see also the Attitudes & Expectations section). Finally, the 1995 questionnaire asked whether the respondent had any responsibility for the care of children under the age of 18 who lived in her household.