National Data Sets: Sources of Information for Canadian Child Care Data

The present review provides a description of various Canadian national survey data sets that could be used to examine issues related to child care use. National data sets dealing with patterns of employment, time use, family earnings, social support, and child, adolescent, or adult health measures were included. We conclude that numerous questions remain unanswered in terms of addressing the relationship between patterns of employment, use of child care, family roles and responsibilities, and associations with the health of families. Recommendations are made about information that has not been collected but may prove to be useful in addressing these issues. Moreover, we conclude that existing Canadian national survey data could be used to address several issues related to patterns of care use as well as the impact on children and families.