THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILD CARE ISSUES AND SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR LOW INCOME PARENTS

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Tambra J. Kent, for the Master of Science degree in the field of Education in Workforce Education and Development, presented on November 3, 2008, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILD CARE ISSUES AND SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR LOW INCOME PARENTS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Cynthia Sims This mixed method study was considered and carried out to determine the relationship between child care issues and successful employment for low income parents. The study specifically sought to determine if accessibility to affordable and quality child care are barriers to employment for low income working parents who are recipients of the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program and who live in Williamson County, Illinois. There were a total of 117 respondents who participated in the study. A questionnaire was mailed to the study population and used to collect data for the study. Findings revealed that accessibility to affordable and quality child care was not a barrier for the respondents. An inference made regarding these findings is that because these respondents are recipients of the Illinois Child Care Assistance Program and their child care is subsidized, they do not have a barrier when accessing affordable and quality child care. Subsidizing child care for low income working parents provides them with the choice of selecting a quality child care provider