Marital,Employment,and Childcare Status of Mothers with Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities

Abstract

This is a descriptive pilot study of the marital, employment, and childcare status of a select sample of mothers of infants and toddlers participating in an early intervention program. As compared to the general population, this sample had a slightly greater proportion of one-parent families. Although these mothers entered the labor force at approximately the same rate as women with children under age 3 years in the general population, their labor intensity was less, as evidenced by the greater proportion who were employed part time. As in the general population, the majority used their own or another home as site of childcare. Spouses provided a large proportion of care. The relevance of these types of data on mothers of children with handicaps is briefly discussed in terms of program planning and decision making.