Faulkner, M., Gerstenblatt, P., Lee, A., Vallejo, V. & Travis, D. (2014). Childcare providers: Work stress and personal well-being. Journal of Early Childhood Research.

Childcare providers often face stress in the workplace. Small studies of childcare providers have suggested that providers have high levels of depression compared to the general population. However, unlike other caregiving professions, the research examining childcare providers is sparse, and there is little information to inform practices and policies to support childcare providers.

This study identifies specific work-related stressors for childcare providers and examines the impact of those work-related stressors on their personal well-being. In this study, a total of 26 home-based and centre-based providers participated in seven focus groups in Central Texas. Themes from the focus groups identify parental interaction as the most prominent stressor for providers followed by the public perception of providers as “babysitters.” Providers also discussed the impact of stress on their personal well-being manifesting through exhaustion, sleep disturbances, and physical health problems.

Faulkner, M., Gerstenblatt, P., Lee, A., Vallejo, V. & Travis, D. (2014). Childcare providers: Work stress and personal well-being. Journal of Early Childhood Research.