Determinants and frequency of non-employment in mothers with disabled child

This article presents results on non-employment among mothersof children with a disability in France. Based on the data from a disability registry and a survey conducted in families of children with cerebral palsy, the relation between non-employment and the child's and family's characteristics were studied. The results show that the mother's educational level, the father's employment situation, and the presence of a severe intellectual disability for the child were the main determinants of these mothers' non-employment. An intellectual disability needs greater attention indaily care. Families with a child presenting a severe disability experienced situation similar to caring for a child less than 3 years of age. Non-employment seems more frequent in mothers of children with a severe disability than in the general population. However, the similarity of the non-employment rate for mothers of children having a cerebral palsy and for the general population suggests the importance of the disability level on mothers' non-employment. (C) 2013 Association ALTER. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.