Does it Take a Village? Kin Coresidence and Child Survival in Tanzania

Children's Caregiving and Growth in Northwestern Tanzania: Limited Evidence That Support From Specific Caregivers Is Associated With Better Growth

Receiving care from individuals other than one's mother (i.e., allomothering) is a universal aspect of raising children, but whether and how such care impacts children's health remains subject to debate. Existing studies in low-income societies largely use broad proxies for caregiving behaviors rather than measuring childcare activities, which may mask variation in allomothering and, thus, its impact on children's health. Using data collected to address these limitations we measure, for 808 children under 5 years in Northwestern Tanzania: (a) Maternal residence, (b) receipt of two childcare types from seven caregivers; and (c) children's growth (height-for-age and weight-for-height). We predict that (1) allomothering will be beneficial for children's growth and (2) benefits of allomothering will be most evident within mother nonresident households. We demonstrate that children receive care from a range of allomothers, even when mothers co-reside; and there are associations between care from different relatives. Receiving care from relatives of the same lineage tends to be positively associated, whereas care from fathers is negatively associated with care from maternal relatives. Maternal residence is not associated with child growth. We find little support for our predictions, with few and inconsistent associations between allomothering and child growth. Our findings suggest that our measures of care, while more nuanced than previous proxies, do not fully capture the complexity of caregiving. Pathways between allomothering and child growth may be further elucidated through more comprehensive care indicators, which specifically measure maternal need for help, and whether allomothering is in addition to, or substitutive of, maternal care.

Maternal Migration and Child Fostering Arrangements in Nairobi's Slums

Child fostering-children living apart from their biological mothers-is an established strategy to support children and families throughout Africa. Little is known about how fostering decisions might be influenced by maternal migration and place of residence when women move to urban slums, which are home to a sizable proportion of Africa's urban population. Using a mixed-methods approach, we triangulate in-depth interviews with birth histories collected in two slum settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, to explore the interconnections between maternal migration experience, slum residence, and child fostering decisions. Our quantitative results reveal substantial fostering of children among women in slum contexts, with fostering being significantly higher among children of migrant women, particularly those who have recently arrived. Qualitative findings suggest that migration acts as an important impetus to foster, as do transitions in women's romantic relationships, economic uncertainty, poor slum conditions, and desires to send children to rural areas for schooling. This novel finding on children's schooling is supported in quantitative analyses, which show that older school-age children are more likely than younger children to be fostered. This study highlights the central roles of maternal migration, economic and social precariousness, and place of residence in determining the fostering of children among mothers living in informal settlements.

"If my wife earns more than me, she will force me to do what she wants": Women's economic empowerment and family caregiving dynamics in Tanzania

Women's economic empowerment is recognized as a fundamental component of gender equality and global development. Despite a significant body of evidence highlighting the positive effects of women's labor force participation in low- and middle-income countries, relatively few studies have explored how caregivers of young children perceive women's economic empowerment in relation to childcare and family responsibilities. The objective of this study was to examine how mothers and fathers viewed the links between maternal employment and family caregiving dynamics specifically in terms of couples' relationships and parenting. We conducted in-depth interviews with 23 mothers and 29 fathers of young children under aged 2 years and 9 focus group discussions with mothers and fathers across 4 communities in Mwanza, Tanzania. Data were analyzed through both deductive and inductive approaches. Results revealed distinct gender differences in maternal versus paternal perceptions regarding women's engagement in income-generating activities. Mothers held favorable views towards employment and largely perceived positive effects on parenting, child, and family outcomes. On the other hand, most fathers were unsupportive of women's employment and held restrictive gender attitudes. Men feared a loss of power and perceived various negative consequences in terms of increased marital conflict, poorer maternal parenting, and worse child outcomes. Overall, this study revealed differences in maternal versus paternal perceptions about women's economic empowerment and its links with couples' relationships and parenting that were strongly shaped by gender attitudes. Women's economic empowerment programs that engage men to transform gender norms while incorporating program components to strengthen couples' relationships and promote positive parenting have potential for achieving family-wide benefits among mothers, fathers, and young children.