Abstract

Abstract— This study delves into the evolving landscape of urban childcare in Bangladesh, focusing on the experiences and challenges faced by parents in Dhaka city.  This paper argues that the traditional childcare arrangement of city families is inadequate to meet the development needs of children.  The study aims to explore the childcare challenges faced by urban parents as they transition from traditional family-based childcare networks to alternative caregiving arrangements amidst urbanization, economic shifts, and social transformations.

Utilizing a mixed-method research approach, combining quantitative surveys (n = 200) and four qualitative interviews, the research examines the parental viewpoints on childcare practices and the role of societal norms and values. The study finds childcare crises in both the family and daycare settings. In family care, caregiving suffers from the less availability of grandparents, a lack of skills of caregivers, and a lack of child interaction. As for the daycare, it is affected by the absence of appropriate policies, a lack of quality, health and safety concerns, affordability issues, and cultural concerns.

Additionally, the study highlights inadequacies in childcare policies and regulatory frameworks, calling for comprehensive reforms to address the childcare vacuum in urban areas. By shifting the focus from developed to developing countries, this study contributes to the literature and suggests policy implications for Bangladesh and beyond.

Keywords

  • Inter-Communal Conflicts
  • Human Security
  • Emerging Dimensions

References

  1. Abendroth, A. K., & den Dulk, L. (2011). Support for the work-life balance in Europe: the impact of state, workplace and family support on work-life balance satisfaction. Work, Employment and Society, 25(2), 234–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017011398892
  2. Araujo, M. C., Dormal, M., & Schady, N. (2018). Childcare Quality and Child Development. Journal of Human Resources, 54(3), 656–682. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.54.3.0217.8572r1
  3. Berk, L. E. (2013). Child Development, 9Th Edn (9th ed.). PEARSON INDIA.
  4. Bruner, J. (1984). Vygotsky's zone of proximal development: The hidden agenda. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 1984(23), 93–97. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.23219842309
  5. Case, R. (1973). Piaget's theory of child development and its implication. The phi Delta Kappan, 55 (1), 20 – 25.
  6. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (3rd Edition). SAGE Publications, Inc.
  7. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, D. J. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
  8. Elsey, H., Fieroze, F., Shawon, R. A., Nasreen, S., Hicks, J. P., Das, M., Huque, R., Hirano, I., Wallace, H. J., & Saidur, M. (2020). Understanding demand for, and feasibility of, centre-based childcare for poor urban households: a mixed methods study in Dhaka, Bangladesh. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09891-z
  9. Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. Norton.
  10. European Community Household Panel - Access to microdata. (2004). Eurostat. Retrieved January 7, 2022, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata/european-community-household-panel
  11. Freud, S. (1905). Three essays on the theory of sexuality. In J. Strachey (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 7). Hogarth Press.
  12. García-Mainar, I., Molina, J. A., & Montuenga, V. M. (2011). Gender Differences in Childcare: Time Allocation in Five European Countries. Feminist Economics, 17(1), 119–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/13545701.2010.542004
  13. Gross, R. (1968). The Educational Theory of Jean Jacques Rousseau. Columbia University Press.
  14. Hamadani, J. D., Tofail, F., Hilaly, A., Huda, S. N., Engle, P., & Grantham-McGregor, S. M. (2010). Use of family care indicators and their relationship with child development in Bangladesh. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.3329/jhpn.v28i1.4520
  15. Hansen, K., & Hawkes, D. (2009). Early childcare and child development. Journal of Social Policy, 38(2), 211–239.
  16. https://doi.org/10.1017/s004727940800281x
  17. Hayashi, A., & Tobin, J. (2017). Reforming the Japanese preschool system: an ethnographic case study of policy implementation. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 25(101).
  18. http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.25.3213
  19. How to Analyze Interview Transcripts in Qualitative Research. (2022, April 4). Rev. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.rev.com/blog/analyze-interview-transcripts-in-qualitative-research#:%7E:text=A%20narrative%20analysis%20involves%20making,other%20areas%20of%20your%20research.
  20. Huang, S., & Yeoh, B. S. (1994). Women, childcare and the state in Singapore. Asian Studies Review, 17(3), 50–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/03147539408712950
  21. Hurlock, E. B. (1978). Child development (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
  22. Islam, M. T., Rashid, F., & Hossain, S. A. (2016). Early childhood care and development: an investigation into a day care center in Bangladesh. American Journal of Educational Research, vol. 4 (4), 338-346. doi: 10.12691/education-4-4-7.
  23. Islam, S. & Khan, N. A. (2015). Child day care center in Bangladesh: problems and prospects. Internation Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research, 3 (3), 66 - 72
  24. Leonard, M. (2016). The Sociology of Children, Childhood, And Generation. The Sage Publication Limited, Los Angeles.
  25. Lewis, J. (2001). The Decline of the Male Breadwinner Model: Implications for Work and Care. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 8(2), 152–169. https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/8.2.152
  26. Locke, J. (1693). Some thoughts concerning education. Penguin Classics.
  27. McCombes, S. (2022, January 19). An introduction to sampling methods. Scribbr. Retrieved April 29, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/sampling-methods/#:%7E:text=In%20non%2Dprobability%20sampling%2C%20the,snowball%20sampling%2C%20and%20quota%20sampling.
  28. McNeil, L. L. (1999). Assessingchildcare need under welfare reform. Journal of Children and Poverty, 5(1), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10796129908413956
  29. McNeil, L. L. (2005). Understanding childcare through experiential knowledge. Michigan Sociological Review, Vol.19, 86-114
  30. Ministry of Finance of Bangladesh. (2022, July). Bangladesh economic review. Finance Division, Ministry of Finance of Bangladesh. https://mof.portal.gov.bd/site/page/28ba57f5-59ff-4426-970a-bf014242179e/Bangladesh-Economic-Review
  31. Morin, A. (2012). Inner speech. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 436–443.
  32. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-375000-6.00206-8
  33. Ogburn, W. F. (1966). Social change with respect to cultural and original nature. [E-book]. Dell Pub. Co.
  34. Peisner-Feinberg, E. S. (2007). Childcare and its impact on young children's development. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development.
  35. https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/sites/default/files/textes-experts/en/857/child-care-and-its-impact-on-young-childrens-development.pdf
  36. Riaz, A. (2016). Bangladesh: A Political History Since Independence. I.B. Tauris.
  37. Richardson, R. A., Harper, S., Schmitz, N., & Nandi, A. (2018). The effect of affordable daycare on women’s mental health: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in rural India. Social Science & Medicine, 217, 32–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.09.061
  38. Rong, C. Q., Lim, R., Yap, G., Elliott, J. M., Hui, T. S., & Shui, M. (2019, July). The infancy study: the impact of caregiving arrangements on early childhood development. Singapore Children Society. https://www.childrensociety.org.sg/resources/ck/files/the-infancy-study.pdf
  39. Ruzek, E., Burchinal, M., Farkas, G., & Duncan, G. J. (2014). The quality of toddlerchildcare and cognitive skills at 24 months: Propensity score analysis results from the ECLS-B. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(1), 12–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2013.09.002
  40. Schneider, J. (1945). Cultural lag: what is it? American Sociological Review, 10(6), 786. https://doi.org/10.2307/2085849
  41. Siren, S., Doctrinal, L., Lancker, W. V., & Nieuwenhuis, R. (2020). Childcare indicators for the next generation of research. In Nieuwenhuis, R. & Lancker, W. V. (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Family Policy (pp. 627 - 655). Palgrave Macmillan.
  42. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  43. Zhang, J., Neuhoff, A., Zaman, S. S., Dutta, M., & Yesmin, S. (2020). What drives parents to consider center-based childcare for their children? The case of Bangladesh. Children and Youth Services Review, 108, 104577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104577