Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Mother’s Employment Status on Child Cognitive Development in Formal and Informal Childcare Settings in Oyo State

The relationship between maternal employment, childcare quality, and child cognitive development involves complex pathways that have not been empirically untangled in South West Nigerian contexts, and clarifying these relationships informs both childcare policy and family support programming. This study empirically examined the impact of mother's employment status and childcare arrangement type on cognitive development among children aged 18 to 48 months in Ibadan North and Egbeda Local Government Areas, Oyo State. A cross-sectional design was employed with 360 mother-child dyads (90 per employment-childcare combination: employed-formal care, employed-informal care, non-employed-formal care, non-employed-home care). Cognitive development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. Childcare quality was assessed using the Infant-Toddler Environment Rating Scale for formal settings. ANOVA and multiple regression were applied. Children in employed-mother-formal care arrangements showed the highest cognitive scores, significantly above the home-care group (p < 0.01). Formal childcare quality significantly moderated the employment-development relationship. Children in poor-quality informal care with employed mothers showed the lowest cognitive scores. Maternal education was independently positively associated with child cognition across all groups. The study provides original evidence on the employment-childcare-cognition pathway and recommends quality regulation of formal childcare, support for informal care quality improvement, and maternal employment support policies integrated with affordable quality childcare access. Keywords: maternal employment, childcare quality, cognitive development, Oyo State, early childhood