Abstract

Aim

To explore how Russian immigrant families in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States search for and select child care, identifying the criteria that guide their decisions—an area that has been largely understudied despite this group being the largest Eastern European immigrant population in the U.S.

Methods

This qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews conducted in Spring 2023 with 11 Russian immigrant families who have lived in the U.S. for at least six months and are primary caregivers of a child under five. Data were collected in Russian, transcribed, translated, and analyzed using thematic coding grounded in the Pungello and Kurtz-Costes (1999) theoretical model.

Results

Most parents discovered child care options via friends’ recommendations, internet searches, and online reviews. Analysis yielded nine key themes influencing their child care choices: cultural and personal beliefs, child characteristics, convenience, cost and subsidy, educational opportunities, program features, facilities and environment, teacher qualities, and reputation.

Conclusion

Understanding these preferences can guide early care and education providers to better meet the needs of Russian immigrant families and inform policy efforts to improve access to suitable child care services for this growing population.

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