Family Childcare Utility,Socioeconomic Status and the Economic Costs of Childcare
Given the low fertility rate,the economic aspects of childcare have become crucial in family sociology and demography.This study,based on data from the"Survey of Child-rearing Costs and Fertility Intentions"conducted among 955 one-child couples in Xi'an in 2019,employs an integrative analytical framework between the New Home Economics and the Social Stratification Theory.The study found that the relationship between childcare utility,socio-economic status,and economic costs of childcare is more of an isotropic increasing relationship.The economic expendi-tures of childcare in families with children aged 0～3 years old,3～6 years old,and 6～12 years old exhibit an inverted J-shape structure.Family childcare utility,socioeconomic status,and family life cycle stage all have varying degrees of significant influence on the economic cost of childcare.Emotional utility,primarily psychological satisfaction,along with an increase in both the objective and subjective socioeconomic status of the family,lead to higher economic costs of childcare.Furthermore,the backward extension of the family's life cycle stage also contributes to increased childcare expenses.There is a differentiation in the positive effects of family emotional utility of childcare and socioeconomic sta-tus on the economic costs of childcare across different family life cycle stages,especially among families with children aged 3～6 and 6～12 years old.The study recommends reducing the economic cost of childcare for families,particular-ly those with low socioeconomic status,through the implementation of differentiated family childcare economic subsidy policies.Additionally,it suggests strengthening the construction of a child-friendly society to promote high-quality de-velopment of parenting practices and better meet the diverse parenting needs of families.
City FamilyEconomic Costs of ChildcareChildcare UtilitySocioeconomic StatusFamily Lifecycle Stage
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