Construction of Childcare Practices Among Icelandic and Polish Parents Living in Iceland: Mixed-Methods Explorations

Abstract

The parental leave policy in Iceland is designed to encourage both parents to work and care and access to public early education and care (ECEC) for under six-year-olds is widespread. To date, research has not focused on how migrants in Iceland arrange care for their young children. Poles constitute the largest group of first-generation migrants in Iceland, and the study addresses the question of how they arrange care for their children compared to Icelandic parents. A population-based survey and qualitative interviews with parents were used to gain an understanding of the childcare practices of the two groups of parents during the first two years after childbirth. In the study, childcare practices refer to the use of paid parental leave and care arrangements after the leave period is over. The study draws on Bourdieu’s concept of habitus when discussing how parents construct their childcare practices. The findings show that although Polish and Icelandic parents use their entitlements to paid parental leave to a similar degree, their childcare practices are quite different. While there is more emphasis on family care among Polish parents, Icelandic parents rely more on public out-of-home care options, showcasing how parents construct childcare practices in a constant flux of values and the social context in which they live.