[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-587384-105":59,"doc-detail-587384-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","aligning-work-and-care-in-a-247-economy-the-childcare-arrangements-of-low-income-families-working-nontraditional-hours","Aligning Work and Care in a 24/7 Economy - The Childcare Arrangements of Low-Income Families Working Nontraditional Hours","","Explores how low-income parents of young children arrange childcare when working nontraditional hours and facing unpredictable schedules. Using a 2019 nationally representative sample, the study examines patterns by family structure, race and ethnicity, and immigration status. Results show fewer than half of children use nontraditional-hour childcare, most commonly via unpaid family care. Family structure shapes utilization, and subsidy generosity is linked to higher paid family childcare. Findings highlight the need to expand subsidized options for low-income families.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/aligning-work-and-care-in-a-247-economy-the-childcare-arrangements-of-low-income-families-working-nontraditional-hours/587384/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/aligning-work-and-care-in-a-247-economy-the-childcare-arrangements-of-low-income-families-working-nontraditional-hours/587384.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"วิน","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-20","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":81},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What childcare arrangements are most common for children whose parents work nontraditional hours?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Fewer than half of children use nontraditional-hour childcare, and unpaid family care is the most common arrangement.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which factors significantly influence whether low-income families use nontraditional-hour childcare?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Family structure significantly influences nontraditional-hour childcare utilization, and care patterns by race and ethnicity align with those seen in daytime care.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How does childcare subsidy use relate to paid nontraditional-hour family childcare?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Overall childcare subsidy use is low among parents working nontraditional hours, but greater subsidy generosity is associated with higher rates of nontraditional-hour paid family childcare.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},587384,1792192955,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":81,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},2336475104736,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/22000c4c5e0e5b17e70?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1786591360781797222","Aligning Work and Care in a 24/7 Economy: The Childcare Arrangements of Low-Income Families Working Nontraditional Hours  \nsarah Ji yoon KWon , Julia r . hen ly ,  \nand su h Kyung lee  \nGiven changing employment conditions and childcare policy investments since Making Ends Meet, Kathryn Edin and Laura Lein’s 1997 book, this study explores the childcare arrangements of low-income parents of young children working nontraditional hours and unpredictable work schedules. Using a 2019 nationally representative sample of low-income parents with young children, we analyze nontraditional hour (NTH) childcare usage patterns by family structure, race and ethnicity, and immigration status. Our findings show that fewer than half of the children use NTH childcare, with unpaid family care being the most common arrangement. Family structure significantly influences NTH childcare utilization, and care patterns by race and ethnicity align with those seen in daytime care. Additionally, we found that childcare subsidy use is low overall among parents working NTH; but subsidy generosity is associated with higher rates of NTH paid family childcare. These results underscore the need to expand childcare options during nontraditional hours and increase access to subsidized NTH care for families with low incomes.  \nKeywords: nonstandard hours, nontraditional hour work, nontraditional hour childcare, precarious work, family structure, childcare subsidy, National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE)  \nAlmost three decades after the publication of Kathryn Edin and Laura Lein’s classic book, Making Ends Meet (1997), and the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), the  \nnumber of low-income families receiving cash welfare assistance in the United States has declined precipitously, single mothers’ employment has risen, and government spending on subsidized childcare has increased. Yet, work-  \nSarah Jiyoon Kwon is assistant professor in the Department of Social Welfare at the University of Seoul, South Korea. Julia R. Henly is Samuel Deutsch Professor at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago, United States. Suh Kyung Lee is a PhD candidate at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago, United States.  \n© 2026 Russell Sage Foundation. Kwon, Sarah Jiyoon, Julia R. Henly, and Suh Kyung Lee. 2026.“Aligning Work and Care in a 24/7 Economy: The Childcare Arrangements of Low-Income Families Working Nontraditional Hours.” RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 12(1): 192–219. [https://doi.org/10.7758](https://doi.org/10.7758)[ ](https://doi.org/10.7758)[/RSF.2026.12.1.08. An earlier version of this study was presented at the Russell Sage Foundation internal confer-](/RSF.2026.12.1.08. An earlier version of this study was presented at the Russell Sage Foundation internal confer-)[ence in June 2024. The authors thank the conference participants for their helpful comments. Research reported](ence in June 2024. The authors thank the conference participants for their helpful comments. Research reported)[ ](ence in June 2024. The authors thank the conference participants for their helpful comments. Research reported)[in this publication was supported by the Administration for Children and Families under award no. 90YE0285.](in this publication was supported by the Administration for Children and Families under award no. 90YE0285.)[ ](in this publication was supported by the Administration for Children and Families under award no. 90YE0285.)The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Administration for Children and Families. Direct correspondence to: Julia Henly, [at jhenly@uchicago.edu](at jhenly@uchicago.edu), 969 East 60th Street, Chicago IL 60637, United States.  \nOpen Access Policy: RSF: The Russell Sage Foundati","cbCaibIctIJs2GEj","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibIctIJs2GEj","pdf",682055,28,"English","# Background and Policy Context\n## Prior Research and Labor Market Changes\n## Persistent Challenges for Low-Income Families\n# Data and Methods\n## 2019 National Sample\n# Findings\n## Usage Patterns by Family Structure and Demographics\n## Role of Unpaid Care and Subsidies\n# Implications\n## Expanding Care for Nontraditional Hours","[{\"question\":\"What childcare arrangements are most common for children whose parents work nontraditional hours?\",\"answer\":\"Fewer than half of children use nontraditional-hour childcare, and unpaid family care is the most common arrangement.\"},{\"question\":\"Which factors significantly influence whether low-income families use nontraditional-hour childcare?\",\"answer\":\"Family structure significantly influences nontraditional-hour childcare utilization, and care patterns by race and ethnicity align with those seen in daytime care.\"},{\"question\":\"How does childcare subsidy use relate to paid nontraditional-hour family childcare?\",\"answer\":\"Overall childcare subsidy use is low among parents working nontraditional hours, but greater subsidy generosity is associated with higher rates of nontraditional-hour paid family childcare.\"}]","Aligning Work and Care in a 24/7 Economy - The Childcare Arrangements of Low-Income Families Working Nontraditional Hours | PDF",1792061738,71]