Does informal child care affect adolescent psychosocial health? Evidence from Hong Kong’s “Children of 1997” birth cohort

Abstract

In Western populations, informal child care is often associated with negative short-term cognitive outcomes while parental care may be important in promoting child social adjustment. In non-western settings, it is relatively common for sustained informal child care to be provided by family members, such as grandparents, or by a family employee at home. Concern exists as to how such arrangements affect child development. The authors examined the association of child care (parents, grandparents and family employee) at 6 mon...