Migrant families with no English at home more likely to stay home to mind children

Migrant families who do not speak English at home are more likely to need a parent to stay at home to take care of children, compared with Irish-born or English-speaking migrant families, according to new research.

A study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found Irish families were more likely to be able to rely on “informal” childcare arrangements, such as having grandparents mind children.

Dr Stefanie Sprong, one of the authors of the research, said non-English-speaking migrant families more often had to “juggle” childcare between the parents.

This could include one parent staying at home and not working, or a parent minding children during the day and then working night shifts, she said.

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The research said this meant those families were missing out on some of the benefits of placing children in crèches or preschools. Dr Sprong said these benefits included allowing more “labour market participation” for mothers.

Children in immigrant households had a better opportunity to form “a place in society” if they attended childcare facilities and were exposed to the English language from a young age, she said. “What we see is those children have more to gain [from formal childcare],” Dr Sprong said.

One of the key barriers to accessing formal childcare was affordability, she added.

[ Why is the price of childcare in Ireland so high and what can be done about it? ]

The ESRI study found migrant families who did speak English were more likely to rely on formal childcare facilities.

Dr Sprong said this was in part as they “don’t have the networks” that many Irish families could rely on.

The research, published on Thursday, was carried out by Dr Sprong and Dr Jan Skopek.

The study said migrant children tended to be in households with lower income, “less grandparental contact” and less available support from other friends and family.

It said children in non-English speaking migrant families as a result were “less likely to be exposed to the beneficial effects of formal childcare”.

The research said additional supports should be provided to immigrant households to allow them to avail of formal childcare, in order “to reduce educational disparities”.