Variations in Child Care by Grandparents During the First Three Years

Routine child care by grandparents was examined for 1,229 children who were participants in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care. Four groups were identified: extended full‐time care, extended part‐time care, sporadic care, and no routine care during the first three years. The odds of sporadic child care by grandparents were higher when mothers were relatively young and worked nonstandard hours. The odds of extended full‐time grandparent care versus extended part‐time grandparent care were higher for mothers of color and mothers with more extensive full‐time employment. All types of grandparent care were more likely when a grandparent lived in the household. These findings suggest that grandparent care is heterogeneous and may occur in response to different family circumstances.     

Creatively Labeling Behavior in Individual and Group Counseling

The authors make a case for the accurate labeling of behavior at the appropriate time in the counseling process and caution against the kind of labeling of a person which results in stereotyping and counseling ineffectiveness. They present a list of seven criteria to be considered if behavior is to be accurately labeled and advocate the use of metaphors, especially in group counseling, to label certain kinds of behavior     

A New Marriage Squeeze for Black Women: The Role of Racial Intermarriage by Black Men

Recent declines in the rate of marriage among Black women have been accompanied by substantial increases in rates of interracial marriage, especially between Black men and non‐Black women. Explanations for the retreat from marriage among Black women have focused on deficits in the quantity and quality of available partners, and the role of racial intermarriage largely has been ignored. This study examines the impact of interracial marriage by Black men on the marriage prospects of Black women. First, our analysis of data from the 1990 Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) reveals that intermarried Black men are selective of those with the highest levels of education, income, and occupational prestige. Second, multilevel analyses, using both the IPUMS and Panel Study of Income Dynamics, show that the level of intermarriage in metropolitan areas is significantly related to the marital behaviors of Black women. Local rates of intermarriage among Black men reduce the likelihood that Black women currently will be married and that they will make the transition to marriage. These effects are especially acute for highly educated Black women whose marriage markets are defined by those Black men who are most likely to intermarry. Finally, our analyses indicate that intermarriage affects the marital prospects of Black women by negatively affecting the pool of economically attractive marriage partners in the metropolitan area.     

Does Family Structure Matter? A Comparison of Adoptive,Two‐Parent Biological,Single‐Mother,Stepfather, and Stepmother Households

Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households, we compared quality of family relationships and well‐being across five different family structures with a particular focus on adoptive households. Four theoretical perspectives, each emphasizing the importance of different factors in determining relationship quality and well‐being, guided this work and led us to compare adoptive families with families that include two biological parents, single mothers, stepfathers, and stepmothers. We found the most support for the perspective stressing the importance of family processes that occur in all types of families, rather than family structure. Specifically, there were few family structure differences based on fathers' and children's reports, and structure differences in mothers' reports were no longer significant after controlling for disagreements between family members. The implications of these results for adoption theory and policies are discussed.     

Emerging Patterns of Care Management: Arrangements for Older People in England

One of the key objectives of the community care legislation, implemented in the UK in 1993, was the development of care management systems. Subsequent studies based on limited samples of local authorities have indicated that there is much variation in the forms and types of arrangements being developed. This paper explores whether typologies of care management arrangements for older people can be discerned through the analysis of a series of key indicators. Data were drawn from a survey of all English local authorities, undertaken as part of the PSSRU study: Mapping and Evaluation of Care Management Arrangements for Older People and Those with Mental Health Problems. Care management arrangements were categorized using a limited number of key indicators chosen on an empirical and an a priori basis. This resulted in the formulation of six categories of care management arrangements for older people, within which approximately 80 per cent of local authorities could be included.     

Advertising the Census: A commentary on the ``Census 2000 Partnership and Marketing Program Evaluation', Population and Policy Review,Special Issue: Census 2000

Population Research and Policy Review -