WORKING MOTHERS’ SOCIAL-ECONOMIC FACTORS AND PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDCARE SERVICE QUALITY IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA

This study aimed to examine how social-economic factors influence working mothers’ perception of the quality of childcare service quality in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The study employed a cross-sectional research design to collect data from 411 working mothers with children aged 2-5 years in childcare centres. Three hypotheses were tested based on research objectives, the proposed relationships showed significance at p<0.05. Results show that working mothers’ social economic factors (income and educational levels) influenced their perception of childcare service quality. Results also indicated that working mothers with children aged 5 years were more satisfied with the service quality provided to their children than working mothers with children of 3-4 years. These findings suggest that income, educational levels, and a child’s age are important factors that influence parents’ perceptions of childcare service quality. The study highlights the need for tailored childcare services that cater to the needs of different age groups and the importance of increasing access to high-quality childcare services for families of all income and education levels.  Article visualizations