The Longitudinal Effects of Divorce and Maternal Employment on the Home Environments of Preschool Children

The purpose of this study was to examine the home environments of children whose mothers were married1 working, married/nonworking, or divorced/working across an eighteen-month period. The sample consisted of 42 families, with children from 4 1/2 to 7 years of age. The HOME (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment) Inventory was administered in the home to assess the amount of cognitive and social stimulation provided the children. The home environments of children from divorced/working homes were found to be less cognitive and socially stimulating than those of married homes. These differences did not appear to be reflective of differences in the child-rearing attitudes of mothers from divorced and married families. The home environments of the married families with and without working mothers were found to very similar.