Abstract
This Australian study compared perspectives of family quality of life (FQOL) of parents of preschool children attending early childhood intervention services (ECIS) with parents of school-aged children with disability. It examined the relationships between disability-related services, parent occupations, and FQOL. Two mixed-methods studies with 122 participants and 24 in-depth interviews were conducted. The first study included 72 parents attending ECIS. The second study included 50 parents of school-aged children with disability. The quantitative aspect (N = 122) used the Beach Center FQOL survey and a demographic questionnaire. Twelve semistructured interviews were conducted for each study. Spearmann’s Rho correlations for quantitative data analysis and thematic analysis for qualitative data were used for each study. A two-way analysis of variance along with a qualitative comparative analysis were conducted to compare the findings from both studies. Results indicated lower scores on FQOL in parents with school-aged children when compared with the ECIS group. Loss of work, lack of time for caregiver health, lack of respite, and interim residential care had detrimental impacts on parents’ long-term well-being. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the hardships and challenges of caregiving increase as the child gets older; however, positive adaptations, beliefs, and positive transformations help FQOL. Family-centered care and supportive practitioners assist FQOL and are highly recommended.