REVIEW OF FERTILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF NURSERIES

(WORK IN PROGRESS)

Dorota Szelewa and Hana Haskova

Fertility in Visegrad countries before and after 1989

Visegrad countries in the 1980s- permanent childlessness low (5-10%)- mean age of women at first birth low (about 20-22 years)- fertility rates high (about 2 children per woman)

Visegrad countries since the 1990s- lowest total fertility rates in Europe

- 1,14 – 1,35 children per woman in 2000- 1,32 – 1,5 children per woman in 2008

- rapid increase in the mean age of women at birth (28-29 years)- growing percentage of the (so far) childless in adult population

How to explain fertility decline in Visegrad countries?What are the factors leading to different fertility outcomes among

European countries?

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Explanations of fertility decline in Visegrad countries (not mutually exclusive)

Cultural factors Structural factors

internalized values external conditions

opportunities competing with parenthood

barriers to parenthood

positive aspects of transformations negative aspects of transformations

similarities in demographic trends in Europe

differences in demographic trends in Europe

delayed second demographic transition

demographic shock, human conduct under conditions of anomie,

or strategic postponement

evidence of growing postmaterialist value orientations

evidence of growing insecurity on labour markets and reductions in welfare systems

Correlation between total fertility rate and share of children <3 in daycare in Europe

(Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.65)

The development of the nurseries after the fall of state-socialism

% children under 3 attending nurseries

1989 2009

Czech Republic 14,0%14,0% >1,0%>1,0%

Hungary 13,7%13,7% 11,0%11,0%

Poland 4,0%4,0% 3,3%3,3%

• Common trend: decentralisation of responsibility for financing and maintaining nurseries (exception: Hungary)

Recent reforms/alternative forms of daycare

2-year olds in kindergarten

Private forms of care (e.g. baby-sitters)

family day-care-service,

integrated nursery-kindergarten,

domestic childcare,

alternative day-care service

HungaryHungaryCzech RepublicCzech Republic PolandPoland

“toddler’s clubs”

Nanny

Comparative studies

Hobson and Oláh (2006)Hobson and Oláh (2006):: RQ: why delaying birth-giving ? Data: LIS, CZ and HU included Lowest or none birth-striking effect identified only in

the dual earner countries (Sen’s capabilities dual earner countries (Sen’s capabilities and and agency freedom agency freedom approach)approach)

Oláh (2011):Oláh (2011): Risk aversion theory For fertility: stronger effects of daycare than part-time

work

De-familialisation of care

(Childcare Childcare servicesservices)

PolandPolandPolandPoland

Implicit familialism

Explicit familialism

Optional familialism

FFemale emale mobilising mobilising

Czech Czech Republic, Republic, Slovakia, Slovakia, Slovenia Slovenia

Minimalist policies

Hungary,

Lithuania

Hungary,

Lithuania

De-familialisati

on of payments payments

for care

Estonia, Estonia, Latvia Latvia

Estonia, Estonia, Latvia Latvia

Szelewa, Polakowski 2007

The Czech Republic (1)

Lively debate between proponents and oponents of the impact of welfare provisions on fertility.

Studies on attitudes to childcare services and financial support for mothers to provide home-based care.

The Czech Republic (2) Work situation/ plans increasingly more influence childbearing plans.

Conflict between work and childbearing plans highest among university degree women.

University degree women and men with the lowest education the most and increasingly more without children in the household.

Accessible quality childcare services reduce conflict between work and care in childbearing plans of high educated women.

Hungary (1)

Gábos and Tóth (2000) Gábos and Tóth (2000) Decision about birth-giving – result of cost-

benefit rationalisation

Kapitány (2008)Kapitány (2008)Small positive impact of GYED

Bálint and Köllő (2008)Bálint and Köllő (2008)Positive impact of in-kind benefits, but also

related to status

Hungary (2)

Bass and Darvas (2008)Bass and Darvas (2008)Low-educated women prefer home-based

careHighest rate of childcare use among well-

educated women

Poland (1)• Institute for Labour and Social Issues 1991Institute for Labour and Social Issues 1991

• Highest fertility among those who came back to work after childcare leave

• Husband’s earningsHusband’s earnings (28%), (28%), better housing better housing conditionsconditions (28%), and higher childcare benefit (28%), and higher childcare benefit (21%)(21%) as most important factors influencing pro-creation decisions

Poland (2): LFS module 2005

Use of external care as related to higherhigher education, higher income education, higher income and bigger citiesbigger cities,

Procreation decisions: more emphasis on the availability of childcare services (in general)

Birth striking as response to societal and structural changes. Gap: Linking nurseries availability to fertility absent Treating „external care” very generally (including

nannies and family members not living in the household.

Conclusions

Differences in institutional arrangements in institutional arrangements of childcare policies

Literature gapLiterature gap: need for systematic methodological approach and individual level data.

Alternative forms of childcare: challenge for statistics

…therefore survey data on the use of childcare might be more adequate.

Thank you!Thank you!