Networking care : immigrant women's access to childcare

This MRP [major research paper] highlights some of the challenges experienced by a small non-probability sample of newcomer women with children when trying to access childcare. It begins with an overview of feminist theory in relation to social reproduction, as well as social capital theory. It outlines the current situation of childcare in Canada, including an emphasis on the gaps in service. I highlight research that has been conducted on various forms of informal childcare networks that immigrant women form. My own research focuses on the social networks immigrant women forge and to what extent forms of child minding have helped newcomer women participate in Canadian society. This project includes accounts of five mothers (status and non-status) as they struggle to find adequate, affordable childcare. In-depth qualitative interviews are used to examine the challenges, ingenuity and resourcefulness of immigrant women when it comes to accessing childcare in a new setting. My research found that although referred to as "weak-ties", non-kin are an important source of information and childcare support for newcomer women.