Social support from childcare providers and maternal well-being: Finding relationships that matter

The current study examines the association between the mother-caregiver relationship and the psychological well-being of mothers. The primary goal of the study was to examine whether mothers utilizing childcare for the first time experienced emotional social support as evidenced through maternal ratings of confidence and affiliation in their child’s caregiver. The current study sample consisted of mothers (N = 910) who currently have (or have had) a child enrolled in a licensed childcare center (infancy through prekindergarten). Maternal well-being (PERMA-Profiler, Butler & Kern, 2016), mother-caregiver relationship quality (PCRS; Elicker, Noppe, Noppe, & Forter, 1997), and maternal parenting stress (PSS; Berry & Jones, 1995) were assessed. A series of hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to examine the associations between independent variables (i.e., maternal demographic data, maternal parenting stress, and maternal reported caregiver emotional social support) and the dependent variable (i.e., maternal well-being). In the final regression, the most significant variables were maternal education, parenting stress score, and maternal emotional social support. Together, the six independent variables accounted for 31% of variation in maternal well-being. In sum, the findings from this study are consistent with the hypothesized outcome that mothers’ experiences of emotional social support from childcare providers result in better overall well-being as reflected in a higher PERMA profiler score. By focusing on the elements that constitute a socially supportive relationship between caregivers and mothers utilizing childcare for the first time, the current research bolsters discussion on mother-caregiver relationships to focus on how to best support mothers in this unique transition to non-parental care for their children.