How To Conduct a Multi-Method Study: Using FF to Understand Childcare Centers in New York

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How To Conduct a Multi-Method StudyUsing FF to
Understand Childcare Centers in New York

• Mario L. Small
• Department of Sociology
• Princeton University
• www.princeton.edu/msmall

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Outline

• Objective To demonstrate use of FF with other
  data
• Outline
• 1. Description of study
• 2. Justification of need for multiple sources
• 3. How FF was used
• 4. Questions added to FF
• 5. Some preliminary data

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The study

• Main question Are childcare centers neighborhood
  institutions?
• Motivations
• Intellectual curiosity early fieldwork
• Urban poverty neighborhood institutions
• Organizations inter-org. networks
• Networks networking
• Policy access

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Two levels of analysis

• The center
• 1. How many centers do?
• 2. Which do and which do not?
• 3. Why?

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Two levels of analysis

• The center
• 1. How many centers do?
• 2. Which do and which do not?
• 3. Why?
• The individual
• 1. How many parents do?
• 2. Which do and which do not?
• 3. Why?

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Two levels of analysis

• The center Data req.
• 1. How many centers do? quant
• 2. Which do and which do not? qnt/ql
• 3. Why? qnt/ql
• The individual
• 1. How many parents do? quant
• 2. Which do and which do not? qnt/ql
• 3. Why? qnt/ql

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Sources
Center Individual
Quantitative NYC phone survey (n300) Fragile Families
Qualitative NYC field study (24 centers in 4 neighborhoods) NYC interviews (65 interviewees)
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Topics of questions added (I01-I1)

• Type of childcare used
• If center is used, whether center holds parent
  meetings
• Frequency of attendance
• Information or resources obtained at meetings
• Number of new network ties from center
• Strength of new ties
• Neighborhood networks (matched to other surveys)
• Neighborhood conditions (matched)

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(Very) Preliminary FF data

• Does center have parent group?
• 83 yes
• Frequency of parent group meetings?
• 78 every month or more
• How often attended parent meeting?
• 41 always or almost always
• 29 sometimes
• 14 rarely

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(Very) Preliminary FF data

• Ever attended workshops at center?
• 51 yes
• Workshop attended, by topic
• Child rearing (52 yes)
• Nutrition (51 yes)
• Finding jobs (21 yes)
• Legal issues (16 yes)
• Education (51 yes)

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(Very) Preliminary FF data

• Met new friends through center?
• 55 yes
• Average number of new friends
• Approx. 3
• Number of those that are close friends
• 49 1 close friend
• Number of close friends overall
• Approx 3

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Expected dates, data availability

• Fragile Families Survey, wave 3
• Spring 2005
• NYC Childcare Centers and Families Survey
• August 2004
• Approx. 220 completes as of 7/14/04
• NYC field study of centers
• September 2004
• All centers contacted at least once as of 7/14/04
• NYC interviews
• September 2004
• 12 parents interviewed as of 7/14/04

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The End

• Princeton graduate student collaborators
• Erin Jacobs
• Rebekah Massengill
• We thank NIH and Princeton University for funding
• More information
• www.princeton.edu/msmall