Informal childcare arrangements: a comparison between Italians and migrants

Abstract

As migrants settle in their destination country, for those who reunited the family or after childbirth childcare becomes a priority. Most studies on migrants’ childcare arrangements have focused on parental use of formal childcare rather than on different informal childcare solutions by analysing only families with preschool-age children. Italy poses an interesting case study because its welfare system is characterised by a familistic model of care, based on solidarity between generations. In familistic countries, migrants’ childcare solutions are more constrained. In this study, we analysed differences in informal childcare needs and arrangements for children younger than 14 between Italians and migrants from different countries of origin. We merged two surveys conducted by the Italian National Statistics Institute in 2011–2012: ‘Social Condition and Integration of Foreign Citizens’, a sample of households with at least one migrant with foreign citizenship, and ‘Multiscopo—Aspects of Daily Life’, a sample of households in Italy. We found that household composition and parents’ employment status play an important role in shaping informal childcare arrangements. Overall, migrants are less likely to use informal childcare, especially grandparents, than Italians but when they do, they rely more on other relatives and non-relatives than Italians. Moreover, differences emerge across migrant subgroups. This study is the first in Italy to contribute to an understanding of the role of migrant status in determining parents’ childcare arrangements for children up to 13 years.

Migrants' choices pertaining to informal childcare in Italy and France: A complex relationship between the origin and destination countries

“…Confirming the results of previous studies (e.g., Kahn & Greenberg, 2010;Matthews & Ewen, 2006;Trappolini et al, 2023), parents' occupational status (especially that of the mother) was a crucial factor. Generally speaking, unemployed or inactive mothers are primarily responsible for caring for their children, while employed mothers generally entrust their children to someone else to reconcile work and family (Barbiano di Belgiojoso et al, 2023;Bonizzoni, 2014).…”

“…This result reflects the influence of parents' culture. As already mentioned in Section 3.1, families that place great importance on cultural consistency in their children's care prefer caregivers from the family network or, at least, the same country or region (Brandon, 2004;Lowe & Weisner, 2004;Trappolini et al, 2023).…”

“…Given these constraints, scholars have demonstrated that migrant parents tend to adopt several informal solutions, with differences driven by family migration patterns (Wall & José, 2004). Previous research has emphasised the role of family structure in the selection of childcare arrangements, such as children's age, the presence of siblings, a partner and grandparents (in good health, co-resident or living nearby), parents' employment status and local and transnational kinship relations, as certain individuals can represent important sources of childcare (Barglowski et al, 2015;Bilecen & Sienkiewicz, 2015;Grysole, 2018;Mussino & Ortensi, 2023;Ryan, 2011aRyan, , 2011bTrappolini et al, 2021Trappolini et al, , 2023Zanasi et al, 2022).…”

“…Household structure is shaped by various factors, including migratory projects and patterns, family formation through marriage and destination countries' family reunification policies. Therefore, it depends on whether one or both parents reside in the household, the number and age of present siblings, and the presence of grandparent(s) and other relatives living in or near the household (Trappolini et al, 2023). In this regard, single-parent families face greater difficulty when it comes to balancing work and childcare responsibilities (Bonizzoni, 2014).…”

Introduction to the Thematic Series: Use and consequences of family policies among migrants and their descendants in Europe

“…However, this approach has a significant limitation as it excludes a vital discussion on childcare arrangements for older children (3 +), and its relative impact on maternal participation in the labor market or the gendered patterns of childcare within households over time. The article by Trappolini et al, (2023)-in this Thematic Series) addresses this research gap, examining the role of migrant status in determining diverse patterns of informal childcare arrangements for children up to age 13 living in Italy.…”