The Working Mother and the Access to Childcare

In Brazil, the attendance in daycare and preschool are guaranteed by the Federal Constitution , as well as the Statute of Children and Adolescents , as a right of all children from birth to six years .

In a research with interviews of mothers who work in various capitals of Brazil (SOS Corpo , Data Popular , 2012) , the main difficulty, reported by 34 % was to get nursery vacancies, and this demand does not vary with social class .

Objective: To understand the trajectory of teenagers who became mothers during training period for insertion in the labor market at Campinas.

Methods: Eight mothers aged 19-23 years who were part of the 17 teenagers who became pregnant between 1992 and 2009 were interviewed . Qualitative methodology was used for analysis .

Results: Three mothers stopped studying and working . Of the other five, four finished high school and one was studying . Two were unemployed and three were working . Of the two unemployed , one had no one with whom to leave her son and for the other, she received help from relatives . Of the three who were working,  two have daycare for their children and one received aid from their parents .

Thus , it becomes apparent that the young mothers reported difficulty in getting aid for the care of their children during working period , is a difficulty common to working women and, unfortunately , it remain current .

Moreover , given the lack of childcare facilities , the mother who does not work and that only studies , situation of many teenage mothers , suffer a disadvantage when trying to place in daycare , further hindering the continuation of studies and future insertion in the labor market.