EARLY CHILD-CARE SELECTION - VARIATION BY GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, MATERNAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND FAMILY-STRUCTURE

More than half of all U.S. infants and toddlers spend at least 20 hr p er week in the care of a nonparent adult. This article uses survival a nalysis to identify which families are most likely to place their chil d in care and the ages when these choices are made, using data from a national probability sample of 2,614 households. Median age at first p lacement is 33 months, but age varies by geographic region, mother's e mployment status during pregnancy, mother's education level, and famil y structure (1 vs. 2 parents, mother's age at ist birth, and number of siblings). Controlling for these effects, differences by race and eth nicity are small. Implications for studies of child-care selection and evaluations of early childhood programs are discussed.