Infant care decisions and attachment security: The Canadian transition to child care study

Infants were visited in their homes three weeks before starting full-time o ut-of-home care and were followed for six months (or its equivalent for par ent-care families). Employed mothers who preferred to stay home were more d epressed, and their children were more likely to experience unstable care t han those who were working and wanted to work. Early entry was related to h igher household income, less maternal depression and use of family home car e as opposed to centre care. Age of entry, and type, stability, or quality of care were not related to attachment security but children with less sens itive mothers using extensive out-of-home care were least secure. Difficult temperament infants were more likely to experience insecure mother-infant relationships, but extensive use of out-of-home care buffered this effect.