Committed to Caring: Cluster-Analysis of Appraisals and Feelings of Family Childcare Work

BACKGROUND: There is a concern regarding the decreasing number of family childcare (FCC) providers, due to the population that primarily relies on it. Compared to studies of center- and school-based preschool practitioners, the FCC literature is lacking robust workforce studies, including examinations of whether and how FCC providers’ workplace appraisals of and feelings while at work are associated with indicators of interaction quality (relationships with families, relationships with children, and responsiveness to children's negative emotions) and the quality of their interactions with children and families. OBJECTIVE: The present study examines how groups of FCC providers, categorized based on differences in appraisals of and feelings experienced at work, differ in the quality of interactions with children and families. The study seeks to extend the FCC literature by also describing socio-ecological factors, such as provider and program characteristics, of these different groups of providers. METHOD: Survey data was collected through a national study of FCC providers (N = 888). A person-centered analysis using hierarchical clustering was used to classify providers into groups based on their workplace appraisals and feelings experienced at work. RESULTS: A person-centered cluster analysis identified four groups. Indicators of interaction quality varied between groups. Group membership was associated with FCC providers' professional commitment, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the current study support calls to increase investment in the support of the FCC workforce by addressing FCC providers’ needs through recognition of differences in workplace appraisals and provider feelings at work. In particular, reducing FCC providers’ emotional exhaustion may be an effective way to increase the quality of their interactions with children and families.