The Effects of Child Care and Maternal Employment on Mothers’ Well-Being and Child Outcomes: The Roles of Maternal Beliefs and Attitudes

초록

This review aims at understanding the mechanism through which child care and maternal employment affects developmental outcomes of children and mothers' psychological well-being. Studies on child care are reviewed and the limitations of the studies in terms of the lack of understanding of working mothers' psychological experiences with child care are discussed. The literature on how employment and child care are associated with mothers' psychological well-being is reviewed. Finally, the evidence of the importance of mothers' beliefs and attitudes in moderating the effects of child care and maternal employment on mothers' psychological well-beingis and children's development is reviewed. The review concludes that what matters for women's well-being and children's development is not employment or child care per se, but the way women perceive and interpret the experiences of working and using nonmaternal care for their children.

키워드