The Childcare series studies childcare subsidies, availability of early childhood education services, and childcare choices made by parents. The series consists of survey and interview data. The target group included parents and guardians of children of different ages residing in specific regions in Finland. The data were collected over a period of time from the same participants, for example so that data were first collected when the child was aged about one year, and then again when the child was aged four years.
The data for the Childcare series were collected as part of the Finnish Childcare Policies: In/Equality in Focus (CHILDCARE) research project conducted by the University of Jyväskylä and Tampere University in collaboration with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The research project began in October 2015 and was concluded in September 2021. The first data collection for the Childcare project took place in 2016.
The survey examined the circumstances of families with one-year-old children regarding, among other topics, living arrangements, income, parental roles, childcare arrangements, and childcare allowances and vouchers. Respondents included the guardians of one-year-old children in Finland. The survey was conducted as part of the Finnish Childcare Policies: In/equality in Focus (CHILDCARE) research project, a joint collaboration by the University of Jyväskylä, Tampere University and Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
First, the respondents were asked about their one-year-old child's health and development. Questions surveyed, for example, breastfeeding, possible medical conditions, and the respondents' relationship with their child. Regarding childcare arrangements, the respondents were asked where they had looked for information on day care services and financial support, what arrangements they had in place for their one-year-old and any other children, how satisfied they were with the arrangements, and whether they received any financial support towards the cost of childcare. Further questions were asked based on whether the child was at home or looked after by an unpaid carer or in day care.
Next, the respondents' work situation, work and family life balance, physical and mental health, and changes in family circumstances were surveyed. Questions also focused on the support the respondents received with parenting, as well as their financial situation, political decision-making, and views on day care-related issues on a municipal and general level.
Background variables included, among others, the respondent's municipality of residence (categorised), gender, age group, marital status, family composition, relationship to the one-year-old child, level of education, current activity and employment, and household income. Additionally, background information relating to the child was collected, including the child's gender, age, living arrangements, and information on the child's guardians. The education and current activity of the respondent's spouse/partner were also charted.
The invitation to participate in the study was sent to all parents and guardians whose child had been born between 1 October 2014 and 30 September 2015 and who were living in the municipalities of Alajärvi, Hamina, Lieksa, Kittilä, Salo and Ulvila as well as in certain postal code areas of Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Oulu and Tampere. The postal code areas for the cities were selected purposively so that there were differences in the population based on level of education, employment, and dependency ratio. Postal code areas that were known to have a larger population of immigrant residents were also included in the study. Additionally, the location of the postal code area in relation to the city centre as well as the day care and early childhood education opportunities in the area were taken into account. This was done to ensure that the study included areas both with and without private day care opportunities.
The invitation and survey sent to the parents were translated to Swedish, English, Somali, and Russian. The invitation was sent to each respondent in the language recorded as their mother tongue in the Finnish population register, or in English if their mother tongue was not Finnish or any of the aforementioned languages. The second and last reminder to participate in the study was sent at the beginning of October (week 40). At this point, all respondents were sent a paper version of the questionnaire in either Finnish or Somali. The online questionnaire was still open to the respondents in Finnish, Swedish, English, Somali or Russian.
The data were collected by sending the invitation to parents of 7,649 children, totalling 14,612 respondents. At least one parent or guardian participated in the study for 2,081 children. In total, 2,696 parents or guardians responded to the survey.