The Carter Family

      It's a bizarre lifestyle but, for Elaine and Larry Carter, it seems like the only way they can eventually get what they want—a home of their own. They had tried other ways, but they never seemed to be able to get ahead. The cost of child care was just too high.

      Elaine and Larry met shortly after they both graduated from high school and they were married a year later. Their oldest child, Alicia, was born a year after that. Elaine stayed home with Alicia for 10 months and then went back to work. When Alicia was almost 3, they had their second child, William. The apartment the Carters had been living in quickly became too small for a family of four and they moved into a rented two-bedroom house. With the higher rent, Elaine had to return to work soon after William's birth, and both children went into child care. Although their dreams of owning their own home were waning, they still felt as though they could eventually swing it. Then Elliot came along. Elaine's pregnancy was a complete surprise, and Elliot was born just 3 weeks after William's first birthday.

      At first, Elaine stayed home with all 3 children but, after a year, the couple realized that they just weren't getting anywhere financially. The bills started to mount and they were afraid they would soon be over their heads in debt. They put all three children in child care, but things didn't get much better. To start off, Elaine and Larry weren't particularly pleased with the child care setting. It seemed overcrowded and the teachers didn't appear to be particularly energetic or intelligent. To make matters worse, although it was less costly than other child care centers, it was still expensive. Elaine's entire salary seemed to be going toward child care, not to mention the fast food they often picked up for dinner on the way home because everyone was ravenous and grouchy and Elaine was too tired to cook. They just weren't getting anywhere and they needed a bigger house, preferably one of their own. As it was, all 3 children were sleeping in the same bedroom, and that wouldn't do for long. Alicia was getting older and would soon need a room of her own. So, after a year of having all three children in child care, the Carters came up with a new plan—the somewhat bizarre life that they have been living for the past 10 months.

      Larry still works from 8:00AM to 5:00PM installing carpet for Sears and Elaine still works on the assembly line at a factory that manufactures kitchen appliances. The difference is that Elaine no longer works the day shift. Instead, she works night shift from 4:00PM to midnight. Larry wakes up Alicia (age 6) and starts getting her ready for school. If William (age 3) and Elliot (age 2) wake up early, Elaine gets up to help. Otherwise, she tries to get another hour of sleep. Larry drops Alicia off at the before-school program on his way to work. Elaine takes care of the boys and tries to find some time to cook a dinner that Larry can heat up in the evening. Between 2:00PM and 3:00PM Elaine takes the boys to Larry's mother's house and then heads off to work. Alicia takes the school bus to Larry's mother's and stays there with the boys until Larry picks them up after work. He takes all 3 children home, feeds them the dinner that Elaine has prepared, makes sure they all have baths, and puts them to bed. By the time Elaine gets home from work, Larry is usually in bed or fast asleep on the couch.

      It's not the life they would choose to lead but, for the first time in years, they are able to put some money away in savings. With this arrangement, not only do they save money on child care, but Elaine also makes more per hour than she would if she were working the day shift. Even so, this way of living takes its toll. Elaine and Larry are both functioning like single parents of three kids which is, to say the least, exhausting. Elaine also worries that she basically only sees Alicia on the weekends. It wasn't so bad last Spring when they first started this schedule because Alicia was attending half-day kindergarten in the afternoons, but now she goes to school all day. She should really make an effort to get up and spend some time with Alicia before she goes off to school with Larry, but it's hard for Elaine to drag herself out of bed so early.

      The weekends aren't exactly a picnic either. What they really want to do is spend some family time together but, by the time the laundry and housework is done, half the weekend is gone. And finally, this schedule takes its toll on their marriage. Although Elaine and Larry sleep in the same bed, they only really see each other on the weekends. Most of their communication is done through notes taped to the front of the refrigerator. And, on days when they can manage to find some humor in their situation, they'll tell you that the one hidden advantage of this lifestyle is that the chances of another unexpected pregnancy have been severely reduced.

Discussion Questions

1. Is there reason to be concerned about the health, safety, or development of the Carter's children (Alicia, William, and Elliott)? Do you think the quality of care they are currently receiving at home and at their grandmother's is significantly better or worse from that which they would receive in their previous child care situation?

2. The Carters were concerned about the quality of care that their children had been receiving in their previous child care center (i.e., overcrowded, staff who didn't seem very energetic or intelligent). What policies or practices in your own state or community ensure monitoring of these aspects of quality in child care centers? How often does such monitoring occur? Would all monitoring information be readily available to parents? Would parents like Elaine and Larry Carter know that this information was available and how to get it? How likely would they be to access such information and use it in making their decisions?

3. Are there any policies or practices in your own state or community that would help the Carters have access to better quality child care for William and Elliott at a cost that they could afford?

4. One reason the Carters have chosen not to have the children in child care is because they want a home that better meets the needs of their growing family. What policies or practices in your own state would support young families like the Carters in meeting their housing needs and other living expenses without having to compromise child care quality (e.g., tax credits, low interest loans, subsidies, etc.)? Are these forms of assistance available to all families?

5. Alicia is now 6 years old and in school all day. In your own state or community, what policies or programs support the availability of quality after-school care for young children? Are these resources available to all families? At a cost that would encourage families like the Carters to use them? How are after-school care programs monitored and how is quality determined?

6. Should the Carters continue their current child care arrangements, how likely is it to adversely affect the development of William (age 3) and Elliott (age 2)? Are they likely to enter school "ready to learn"?

7. How likely is it that the Carters know about the developmental needs of their young children in terms of future school readiness? Are there any policies or practices in your own state or community that would help ensure that they had such information? Given their current lifestyle, if the Carters had such information, do you think they would be capable of providing their children with the experiences necessary to ensure their children's developmental readiness for school?

P.J. McWilliam
National Center for Early Development and Learning
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC

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