Caring for Young Children while Parents Work: Public Policies and Private Strategies

This paper addresses three central questions: (1) How do public and private policies affect the decisions of mothers to return to the labor force after childbirth? (2) What types of strategies do families with very young children use to manage work and family life? (3) How do public policies affect the choices parents make to care for their young children when the mother is employed, in school, or in training? The paper also addresses what public and private strategies can do to help families manage the care of young children.