MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ãlikool
MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ãlikool
MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ãlikool
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TÖÖ- JA PEREELU ÜHITAMINE REC<strong>ON</strong>CILING WORK AND FAMILY LIFE<br />
have pointed out long wait lists of kindergartens as the main problem of childcare activities<br />
(Ainsaar et al. 2004).<br />
In 2010, the number of children under seven years of age in Estonian families was slightly higher<br />
than 100,000; on average, more than 55,000 of them attended a kindergarten or a crèche. In<br />
case of 17,000 children under seven years of age – other childcare services were used, and with<br />
nearly 30,000 children – help of relatives or acquaintances living outside of the household was<br />
frequently used. For 35,000 children up to seven years of age no persistent childcare services<br />
were used.<br />
The types of childcare services used and attending of institutions providing childcare services<br />
largely depend on the age of children. A kindergarten or a crèche was attended by over 80% of<br />
children aged three to six and by only one fifth of children up to two years of age.<br />
Help of relatives or acquaintances was also used in case of nearly one third of children aged up<br />
to two years of age, but most of the parents of the children of this age group (63% of children) did<br />
not use traditional childcare services. The percentage of households with 3–6 year-old children<br />
who did not use childcare services was several times smaller – childcare services were not used<br />
only in case of 11% of children.<br />
The question remains, whether the fact that for most of the children 0–2 years of age childcare<br />
services were not used is due to insufficiency and unavailability of such services or the<br />
unwillingness of parents to take their children to a kindergarten.<br />
Krusell et al. (2004) have analysed the satisfaction of parents with childcare services and their<br />
wish to use childcare services. Most of the parents were more or less satisfied with the used<br />
childcare services and the organisation of these services: only one tenth did not consider the<br />
available childcare services satisfactory. The level of satisfaction was significantly affected by<br />
whether the parent wanted to start working again or not. This factor divided the parents who were<br />
staying at home into two: a half of those who did not want to go to work were very satisfied with<br />
the organisation of childcare services and the other half of the parents staying at home, those<br />
who would have gone to work if possible, were the least satisfied. The age of children also<br />
affected the level of satisfaction: most of the parents of 1-year-old children are happy to be at<br />
home and pleased with the situation while some of the parents of 2-year-old children would like to<br />
return to the labour market but cannot find suitable childcare facilities. (Krusell et al. 2004)<br />
In case of men, the high price or absence of childcare services had no effect on whether they<br />
were looking for work or not. At the same time, 11% of women with children up to two years of<br />
age considered the absence or price of childcare services an important hindrance that made<br />
them not look for work.<br />
Thus, the low use of childcare services with children aged 0–2 years is due to both unwillingness<br />
of the parents to use them and the insufficiency of such services offered. (Figure 4)<br />
Nearly 20,000 persons in the prime working age (25–49) who were currently unemployed and<br />
were not actively seeking work, reported willingness to work, although they would not have<br />
commenced working immediately. Two thirds of this so-called potential labour force was<br />
comprised of women i.e. their number was considerably bigger than that of men. The reasons for<br />
not to commencing work within two weeks differed by gender. For men, the most important<br />
reasons were studies and own illness or disability. For women, the main respective reasons also<br />
included studies, but the most important reason was taking care of children or adults requiring<br />
care. Most of the women belonging to the group of potential labour force raised a child up to two<br />
years of age and only 8% of these women had children aged over 15 or did not have children in<br />
their households. (Figure 5)<br />
One might assume that if parents have sufficient income, more childcare services are used as<br />
they would be less dependent on the price of such services.<br />
In case of children up to six years of age, the use of kindergarten, crèche or a kindergarten for<br />
children with special needs was not significantly affected by income. However, a significant effect<br />
of income was seen on the use of hobby groups. While 7% of the children up to six years of age<br />
<strong>MEHE</strong> <strong>KODU</strong> <strong>ON</strong> <strong>MAAILM</strong>, <strong>NAISE</strong> <strong>MAAILM</strong> <strong>ON</strong> <strong>KODU</strong>? MAN’S HOME IS THE WORLD, WOMAN’S WORLD IS HER HOME? 77