Mothers' Time Use in Child Care and Market Child Care Services Depending on Their Employment Status

유아기자녀를 둔 어머니의 종사상지위별 자녀돌보기 시간사용과 유료 자녀양육서비스 선택

This study analysed the effect of mothers' work status on time use in child care and use of market child care services. There were two major questions: Do self-employed (and family worker without being paid) mothers have a flexible work schedule and so can they care her child(ren) well? If it is true, is the work status as self-employee related to non-market child care services? To answer these questions, 1,196 samples were selected from the Time Use Data of 1999, which had been administered by Korea National Statistical Office. Major results were as follows: First, a mother who is family workers without being paid made time to care children frequently more than wage earners. Second, according to regression analysis, mothers' work status was one of the important variables to explain child care activity frequency. Third, among categories of child caring ('physical caring', 'non-physical caring', and 'caring of the others'), mothers spent more frequently in 'caring of the others', and had higher probability to use market child care services. But the more frequently a mother made time in 'non-physical caring' for her child, the lower probability to choose market child care services. In conclusion, it was certain that self-employed mothers benefit from a flexible time schedule at work places. But the relationship of child care activity frequency with use of market child care services was inconsistent.