In this project, we will investigate patterns of change in child care choice during a 30 year period in Peninsular Malaysia, and the effects of the child care choice in contemporary Malaysia on children's development. A large body of research suggests that the quality and characteristics of child care have significant effects on children's development. W know considerable less about the magnitude and importance of these effects in countries outside the US and Europe, and especially in developing countries which historically have had quite different patterns of economic and family organization.
The specific aims of this project are: 1. to describe and explain the reason underlying changes in child care arrangements for young children in Malaysia; 3. to estimate the effects of child care arrangements on children's well-being in contemporary Malaysia; 3. to estimate the effects of child care arrangements on children's well- being in contemporary Malaysia. Data for this project come from the first Malaysia Family Life Survey (MFLS-1) conduct in 1976-77, the MFLS-2 conducted in 1988, and the proposed MFLS-3 planned for 1999. We also propose to collect qualitative information in in-depth interviews and focus groups with parents, grandparents, and child care providers as part of this project. Our results will provide important insights into the process of change in family structure and family organization over time and across generations, and evidence about whether conclusions reached about child care in previous work in the US and Europe are applicable in developing countries.
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