QUESTIONNAIRE: EMPLOYEES AND CHILD CARE
James G. Beierlein / James E. Van Horn
Professor of Agricultural Economics / Professor of Family Sociology
Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology
Penn State University
Copyright/Access Information
This questionnaire is anonymous; please do not print your name on it.
1. First, we would like to know a little about your family. Please list the ages of your children (from youngest to oldest):
Sons:
Daughters:
2. Over the last 12 months, have you needed child care (babysitting) for any of your children while you work? Circle the number of your response.
1 YES
2 NO
IF NO CARE WAS NEEDED, SKIP TO QUESTION 24
3. We would like to know about all the care your children needed. Check all the kinds of care needed by your child(ren) over the last 12 months while you worked.
____FULL-DAY CARE
____HALF-DAY CARE
____BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL CARE
____NIGHT OR WEEKEND CARE (WHILE PARENTS WORK)
____FULL-DAY CARE (SUMMERS ONLY)
____HALF-DAY CARE (SUMMERS ONLY)
____OTHER (explain)_____
4. Please tell us how care was provided for your child(ren). Check all the ways that care was provided.
____RELATIVE IN OUR HOME
____NON-RELATIVE IN OUR HOME
____IN RELATIVE'S HOME
____IN NON-RELATIVE'S HOME
____CHILD CARE CENTER
____OTHER (describe)
5. Did you get all the child care you needed during the last 12 months? Circle one response.
1 YES, I GOT ALL THE CARE I NEEDED. (SKIP TO QUESTION 7.)
2 I GOT SOME OF THE CARE I NEEDED.
3 NO, I DID NOT GET ANY OF THE CARE I NEEDED.
6. If you couldn't get all the child care you needed, please indicate the reason. Circle all the reasons that fit your situation.
1 COST OF CARE WAS TOO EXPENSIVE
2 COULDN'T FIND ANYONE TO CARE FOR MY CHILDREN (explain)_____
3 CARE WAS TOO FAR AWAY
4 CARE WASN'T AVAILABLE WHEN I NEEDED IT (explain)_____
5 MY CHILD HAS SPECIAL NEEDS THAT COULDN'T BE ACCOMMODATED (explain)_____
6 OTHER (explain)_____
7. About how many hours per week is your child(ren) in child care? (The total for all your children who receive care.) Circle your response.
1 1-10
2 11-20
3 21-30
4 31-40
5 41-50
6 51-60
7 61-70
8 71-80
9 81-90
10 91-100
11 101-110
12 111-120
13 121 OR MORE
8. What is the average amount you pay per week for child care for your child(ren)? (The total for all your children who receive care.) Circle your response.
1 $0-$10
2 $11-20
3 $21-$30
4 $31-$40
5 $41-$50
6 $51-$60
7 $61-$70
8 $71-$80
9 $81-$90
10 $91-$100
11 $101-$110
12 $111-$120
13 $121-$130
14 $131-$140
15 $141-$150
16 $151-$160
17 $161-$170
18 $171-$180
19 $181-$190
20 $191 OR MORE
9. Do you have back-up child care when your regular care is unavailable? Circle the number of your response.
1 ALWAYS
2 USUALLY (explain)_____
3 SOMETIMES (explain)_____
10. Who cares for your child(ren) when they're ill? Circle the number of your response.
1 SPOUSE WHO DOESN'T WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME
2 SPOUSE STAYS HOME FROM WORK WITH CHILD
3 I STAY HOME FROM WORK WITH CHILD
4 REGULAR CHILD CARE ARRANGEMENTS
5 ALTERNATIVE CHILD CARE ARRANGEMENTS
6 CHILD CARES FOR SELF
7 OTHER (explain)_____
11. If you stay home from work to care for a sick child, what kind of leave do you take? Circle the number of your response.
1 SICK LEAVE
2 VACATION DAY
3 PERSONAL LEAVE DAY
4 UNPAID LEAVE
5 OTHER (explain)_____
6 DOESN'T APPLY
12. Who cares for your child(ren) when schools close for an emergency snow day? Circle the number of your response.
1 SPOUSE WHO DOESN'T WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME
2 SPOUSE STAYS HOME FROM WORK WITH CHILD
3 I STAY HOME FROM WORK WITH CHILD
4 REGULAR CHILD CARE ARRANGEMENTS
5 ALTERNATIVE CHILD CARE ARRANGEMENTS
6 CHILD CARES FOR SELF
7 OTHER (explain)_____
8 DOESN'T APPLY - CHILD(REN) ARE TOO YOUNG TO GO TO SCHOOL
13. Who cares for your child(ren) when schools close for inservice days or holidays? Circle the number of your response.
1 SPOUSE WHO DOESN'T WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME
2 SPOUSE STAYS HOME FROM WORK WITH CHILD
3 I STAY HOME FROM WORK WITH CHILD
4 REGULAR CHILD CARE ARRANGEMENTS
5 ALTERNATIVE CHILD CARE ARRANGEMENTS
6 CHILD CARES FOR SELF
7 OTHER (explain)_____
8 DOESN'T APPLY - CHILD(REN) ARE TOO YOUNG TO GO TO SCHOOL
14. Who takes care of making child care arrangements for your child(ren)? Circle the number of your response.
1 I DO
2 SPOUSE
3 MY SPOUSE AND I SHARE RESPONSIBILITY
4 A FRIEND
5 A RELATIVE
6 OTHER (specify)_____
15. Who takes or drives your child(ren) to and from child care? Circle the number of your response.
1 CARE IS IN OUR HOME - SKIP TO QUESTION 18
2 I DO
3 SPOUSE
4 MY SPOUSE AND I SHARE RESPONSIBILITY
S A FRIEND
6 A RELATIVE
7 OTHER (specify)
16. How many miles does the person mentioned above drive (one way) from your house to your child care home or center? Circle the number of your response.
1 0-5
2 6-10
3 11-15
4 16-20
5 21-25
6 26-30
7 31-35
8 36-40
9 41-45
10 46-50
11 51 OR MORE
17. How many miles does the person mentioned above drive (one way) from your child care home or center to his/her job? Circle the number of your response.
1 0-5
2 6-10
3 11-15
4 16-20
5 21-25
6 26-30
7 31-35
8 36-40
9 41-45
10 46-50
11 51 OR MORE
Now we are interested in how child care affects working family members.
18. Have you or others in your household limited their work hours because you can't find good child care? Circle the number of your response.
1 YES
2 NO
19. Does anyone in your household often worry about your child(ren) in child care while at work? Circle the number of your response.
1 YES
2 NO
20. Does anyone in your household often worry about your child(ren) at home alone after school? Circle the number of your response.
1 YES
2 NO
21. Has anyone in your household had to take off time from work because of problems with child care? Circle the number of your response.
1 YES
2 NO
22. Has anyone in your household had to quit a job because of problems with child care? Circle the number of your response.
1 YES
2 NO
23. When you need to be away from work for a short time for a child's appointment or a child care emergency, how does your supervisor manage your absence? Circle the number of your response.
1 ALLOWS PERSONAL LEAVE TIME
2 ALLOWS ME TO MAKE UP LOST TIME
3 REDUCES WAGES FOR MISSING TIME
4 DEMERIT OR MARK AGAINST WORK RECORD
5 OTHER (explain)_____
24. How does your supervisor respond to your family responsibilities that may occur during worktime? Circle the number of your response.
1 SUPPORTIVE
2 RELUCTANT BUT ALLOWS NECESSARY ABSENCE
3 CRITICAL
4 OTHER (explain)_____
25. Listed below are a number of ways that businesses can help employees with their child care problems. Check options which you think this business should consider:
____a. FREE LUNCHTIME SEMINARS ON PARENTING AND CHILD CARE
____b. EMPLOYEE IS PROVIDED INFORMATION ON LOCAL CHILD CARE HOMES AND CENTERS
____c. JOB SHARING - TWO EMPLOYEES "SHARE" A FULL-TIME POSITION
____d. ALLOW EMPLOYEES TIME OFF FROM WORK FOLLOWING CHILDBIRTH
____e. FLEX-TIME - ADJUSTED ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES TO MEET FAMILY'S SCHEDULE
____f. ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO WORK FOR LIMITED AMOUNTS OF TIME, IN UNUSUAL SITUATIONS OR EMERGENCIES
____g. ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO USE PAID SICK LEAVE TO CARE FOR SICK CHILDREN
____h. CHILD CARE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE MILDLY ILL OR RECOVERING FROM AN ILLNESS.
____i. CHILD CARE CENTER FOR CHILDREN OF EMPLOYEES AT OR NEAR YOUR WORKSITE
____j. FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CHILD CARE AS PART OF THE BENEFIT PACKAGE
____k. IRS APPROVED PLAN TO PAY FOR CHILD CARE WITH PRE-TAX DOLLARS
____l. CHILD CARE PROGRAM BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL HOURS AND ON SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AND VACATIONS.
____m. SPACES RESERVED IN A CHILD CARE CENTER OR HOME FOR EMPLOYEES' CHILDREN.
____n. EMPLOYEES RECEIVE A DISCOUNT ON THE REGULAR FEE CHARGED FOR CHILD CARE AT A CENTER OR HOME
26. Which three child care options listed above are most important to you? Write the letters of your choices.
1 _____
2 _____
3 _____
27. Are you going to need child care within the next two years? Circle the number of your response.
1 YES
2 NO - SKIP TO QUESTION 29
3 NOT SURE
28. Please tell us what kind of care you think you will need. Circle all kinds you will need.
1 FULL-DAY CARE
2 HALF-DAY CARE
3 BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL CARE
4 SUMMER CARE ONLY, FULL-TIME
5 SUMMER CARE ONLY, HALF-TIME
6 NIGHT/WEEKEND CARE
7 NOT SURE
8 OTHER (explain)_____
29. What is your relationship to the child(ren) in your family? Circle the number of your response.
1 MOTHER (include foster, step)
2 FATHER (include foster, step)
3 AUNT
4 UNCLE
5 GRANDMOTHER
6 GRANDFATHER
7 OTHER (specify)
30. What is your marital status? Circle the number of your response.
1 NEVER MARRIED
2 MARRIED
3 SEPARATED
4 DIVORCED
5 WIDOWED
31. How would you describe your household? Circle the number of your response.
1 SINGLE PERSON, NO CHILDREN
2 SINGLE EMPLOYED PARENT, CHILDREN LIVING WITH ME
3 SINGLE EMPLOYED PARENT, CHILDREN LIVING ELSEWHERE
4 TWO ADULTS, NO CHILDREN
5 TWO PARENTS, CHILDREN LIVING WITH US, BOTH PARENTS WORKING
6 TWO PARENTS, CHILDREN LIVING WITH US, ONE PARENT WORKING
7 OTHER
32. How long have you worked with this company? _____
33. What are your working hours?
____FULL-TIME: HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK?_____
____PART-TIME: HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK?_____
____OTHER (explain)_____
34. What is your spouse's working schedule? Circle the number of your response.
1 DOES NOT WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME
2 PART-TIME WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME
3 FULL-TIME WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME
4 DO NOT LIVE WITH SPOUSE
35. Are there any concerns or comments that you would like to make about child care that we haven't covered here? If so, please feel free to tell us those concerns or comments. _____
Please return your completed questionnaire to _____ by this date _____.
Thank you.
SCORING THE EMPLOYEES AND CHILD CARE QUESTIONNAIRE
Results from the Employees and Child Care Questionnaire can be compiled in several ways:
- Hand tally
- Computerized spreadsheets, such as Lotus (IBM), Microsoft Excel (Apple Macintosh), Microsoft File (Apple Macintosh)
QUESTION 1: Make a tally of numbers of children in the following age range groupings:
- 0-12 months (infants)
- 1-4 years (toddlers and preschoolers)
- 5-6 years (kindergarten)
- 7-11 years (school-age)
- 12 years and above
Children in each of these groupings will have different child care needs:
- Infants require the most specialized care and usually the most expensive.
- Toddlers and preschoolers need full-day child care, depending on their parents' work hours.
- Children in kindergarten will likely need child care for half days, depending on the local school system.
- School-age children may need child care before or after school hours, or both.
- Children age 12 and above are often left alone in their homes before and after school.
QUESTION 2: Add the number of employees indicating number 1 "YES", they needed child care while they worked. This total represents the current number of employees in your work force who have children in some type of child care arrangement.
QUESTIONS 3 AND 4: Tally the kinds of child care and who provided that care for employees' children. Note how much child care is provided in private homes vs. child care centers. A large proportion of child care in rural areas is provided in private homes. You may also observe the number of parents juggling multiple child care arrangements and providers. For further analysis, you may want to consider:
Look at the answers to Questions 3 and 4. Compare them to marital status and household description (Questions 30 and 31). How many single parents rely on relatives to care for their children? How many single parents need "NIGHT OR WEEKEND CARE" (Question 3, number 4)?
QUESTION 5: Total the number of employees indicating each of the three responses. Employees circling responds "2" or "3" may be a key group needing assistance with child care needs.
QUESTION 6: Total the number of employees indicating the six responses. You may also want to note some of the explanations. The responds given to this question will be important to remember when planning some form of child care assistance program.
QUESTION 7: Tally the number of employee responses for each of the thirteen ranges of hours. Answers to this question will let you know the total number of hours of child care needed by employees' children per week. Remember, responses indicate a total for all of their children receiving care. You may be able to see one or two ranges of child care hours that are used by the majority of employees and their families.
QUESTION 8: Tally the number of employee responses for each of the twenty ranges of payments. Look for ranges of child care payments that are used by the majority of employees and their families. For further analysis, you may want to examine this question in the following ways:
Multiply the number of responses to each category by the median amount in the category. Add these totals and divide by the number of respondents to Question 8. This will give the average amount paid per week for child care.
Compare the average weekly payment with the average salary for employees with your company. What percentage of the weekly salary is spent on child care?
Compare the employees indicating "COST OF CARE WAS TOO EXPENSIVE" in Question 6 with actual payments for child care in Question 8.
Compare the respondents to Question 8 with the respondents to Questions 29 and 31. What are the average child care costs for single parents?
QUESTION 9: Total the number of employees indicating each of the three responses.
Back-up care is crucial if employees are using child care arrangements in private homes.
QUESTION 10: Total the number of employees indicating each of the seven responses. Parents staying home to care for ill children may represent a large proportion of absenteeism in the work force.
QUESTION 11: Total the number of employees indicating responds one through five. Answers to Question 11 may suggest policy implications for your business. Consider if employees, especially single parents, can afford to take a day of unpaid leave to care for a sick child. A first step toward assistance with employee child care may be to permit employees to take paid sick leave to care for sick children.
QUESTIONS 12 and 13: Total the number of employees indicating responses one through seven for each question. Emergency school closings create very stressful situations for many working parents. Although parents have more time to plan for inservice days and school holidays, they may present difficulty. Many centers and child care providers will not take children on a part-time or occasional basis. A child who is allowed to stay home alone for two to three hours after school may not be mature enough to remain alone for an additional five hours.
QUESTIONS 14 and 15: Tally the number of employee responses for each of these questions. You may want to note the number of employees responding they alone are responsible for the child care arrangements and transportation (Question 14: response number 1; Question 15: response number 2). These employees may experience high stress levels before they reach the workplace, especially if alternative child care arrangements have to be made that morning. For further analysis, compare the following:
Question 14, Response Number 1 and Question 15, Response Number 2 with Question 29. Mothers are frequently responsible for both child care arrangements and transportation in families.
Question 14, Response Number 1 and Question 15, Response Number 2 with Questions 30 and 31. What proportion of the employee respondents are single parents, without anyone to assist in child care arrangements or transportation?
QUESTIONS 16 and 17: Tally the number of employee responses for each of these questions. You may want to look at the distances indicated by the majority of employee responses. For further analysis, you could consider the following:
Do your employees drive long distances to the worksite? Does this relate to tardiness on the job?
Compare employees noting "CARE WAS TOO FAR AWAY" in Question 6 with the actual distances driven.
Answers to Questions 16 and 17 should be considered if you plan a child care assistance program involving existing facilities or a facility you plan to develop.
Is the existing facility or planned site within the range of distance driven by the majority of your employees?
QUESTIONS 18-22: Record the number of employees responding "YES" to each of these questions. Stress from child care related problems may lead to reduced productivity or loss of good employees at the workplace.
QUESTIONS 23 and 24: Tally employee responses for each of these questions. Answers to Questions 23 and 24 may present implications for future personnel policy decisions.
QUESTION 25: Tally employee responses for the fourteen child care assistance options. Which options were checked by the majority of employee respondents?
QUESTION 26: Record employee responses, listing preferred child care assistance options. Compare the responses to Question 25 with the responses to Question 26. Child care assistance options receiving large response rates should be discussed and explored further by the employee-management committee.
QUESTIONS 27 and 28: Tally employee responses to each of these questions. Implications may be drawn from these questions to calculate the future need for employee child care assistance options with your present work force. Did a large proportion of employees indicate they will need "FULL-DAY CARE" and "BEFORE-AFTER SCHOOL CARE", etc. in the future? Will employees need assistance in arranging this type of care for their children?
The following questions will give valuable information about the employees and their families in your work force.
QUESTION 29: Tally the number of responses to each of the relationships of respondents to the child(ren) in the family.
QUESTION 30: Tally the number of responses to each of the marital status categories.
QUESTION 31: Tally the number of responses to each of the household categories. Special consideration should be given to the "SINGLE PARENT" categories. Respondents to category two ("SINGLE EMPLOYED PARENT, CHILDREN LIVING WITH ME") will likely be responsible for all child care needs themselves. Respondents to category three ("SINGLE EMPLOYED PARENT, CHILDREN LIVING ELSEWHERE") should not be ignored. These employees may have custody of their children for varied periods of time, requiring child care arrangements while the parent works.
QUESTION 32: Record the responses. You may want to categorize the answers in ranges, such as 1 year or less, 2-5 years, 6-10 years, etc. Businesses invest a large amount of time in training employees. Child care assistance is one strategy for keeping valuable employees.
QUESTION 33: Tally the number of responses to each category of working hours. Be aware that employees who work odd hours on a part-time or swing shift basis and employees who work weekends frequently experience more problems in finding child care for their children.
QUESTION 34: Record the number of responses to each category. In most cases, a response of number 1 "DOES NOT WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME" will indicate no child care needed. However, do not overlook the growing number of home business operations and people doing volunteer work. These employees may still need child care arrangements.
QUESTION 35: Record the comments provided by employees. You may want to categorize them according to problems that the business should address, community problems, etc.
DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension Service Children Youth and Family Educational Research Network. Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only(not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Beierlein, J. G., & Van Horn, J. E. (1991). Child care options for the 90s. University Park, PA: Penn State University.
Any additions or changes to these materials must be preapproved by the author.
COPYRIGHT PERMISSION ACCESS
James E. Van Horn
111 Armsby Building
University Park, PA 16802
PHONE:: (814) 865-0455
FAX:: (814) 865-3746
E-MAIL:: jvanhorn@psupen.psu.edu
FORMAT AVAILABLE:: Print - 41 pages
DOCUMENT REVIEW:: Level 2 - Penn State University
DOCUMENT SIZE:: 28K or 11 pages
ENTRY DATE:: June 1994