돌봄취약계층 맞춤형 육아지원 방안(Ⅳ): 미혼모·부 가정의 자녀양육 실태 및 지원방안

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to investigate in the current situations of the supporting system for unwed single-parent families and their difficulties on rearing children and to provide the policy suggestions to improve the child rearing environment for the unwed single-parent families. This study focused on the unwed single-parent families who do not live in the housing facilities for single parents and live in their own. In this research, we used several research methods. First, we reviewed the literature on supporting policies that are applicable to unwed single-parent. Second, we conducted the online survey with 300 unwed single-mother families and they reported the current difficult situation of their child-rearing as unwed single-mothers including the issues about child-caring, work-life balance, and absence of non-nurturing parent. Third, 24 unwed single-mothers and 1 single-father parent were interviewed for this study to provide the specific experiences that they experienced from the pregnancy to now, including specific difficulties in child rearing, and needs for social supporting services. Lastly, we conducted the case study of the institution for the initial support for unwed single parent families. In this study, we categorized the sample of the survey and participants of the in-depth interviews based on the age of the children, Infant/toddler(0-2 years old), young children(3-5 years old), and elementary schooler(6-11 years old). The most suffering difficulties that the unwed single-parent families were experiencing were the financial burdens and the child caring regardless of the age of children and their employment status. When the parents were working, as there is no extra care-giver, sometimes they were dismissed due to the emergent care-giving situation. However, even though they do not work, most of them are to prepare to be occupied, there should be some place where their children are placed. In addition, the parents of young children are suffering from the situation when they are asked about the children’s un-nurturing parent. For mothers, the degree of the stress from the situation was the highest for mothers of the young children. However, for the children, the degree of the stress from the situation was the highest for the elementary schoolers. The results of this study suggest the following policies. First, the unwed single mothers should be considered as priority for the selection of child-caring services based on the vulnerability of caring. Second, the role of the initial support institution for the unwed single parent families should be strengthened. In addition, due to the lack of the places where the unwed parents can obtain the accurate information about that the supporting services that they can be provided.