Understanding Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care in Washington State: Developing Appropriate Training and Support Full Report, February 2002

Press Release | Full Report (450k) | Executive Summary (97k) |
Report Highlights (29k) | DSHS Letter (6k)

We surveyed parents, caregivers, professionals, and policy makers to learn (1) how many children are being cared for by family, friends, and neighbors (FFN); (2) how many hours and for what reasons children are in FFN care; (3) the characteristics, training, and motivations of FFN caregivers; and (4) the views of policy makers and professionals regarding FFN care. We defined FFN care as any regular, non-parental care other than a licensed center, program, or family child care (FCC) home. We found that in Washington State:

• FFN care involves 480,000 children and is the most common form of non-parental care for infants (age 0-1), toddlers (age 1-2), and school-age children (age 6-12).
• Many Washington children spend enough hours in FFN care that the quality of that care can affect their development.
• Caregiving is a serious activity for the family, friends, and neighbors who do it. FFN caregivers provide care for an average of 18 hours a week, and 40% are paid for the care they provide.
• Among families receiving subsidies for a primary care arrangement, one-third of them use it for FFN care.
• FFN caregivers represent a wide range of backgrounds. Most do not have specific training in child care, child development, or parenting skills. Two thirds of them would like some type of training or support. They prefer that information and supports be built around specific issues and provided within a context of peer support, rather than in formal classes.
• We recommend a multi-county pilot program that offers a flexible menu of training and support options and experiments with different ways to reach and engage FFN caregivers.

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