Allomothers and child well-being

Abstract

Human children are highly dependent, requiring intensive maternal investment for a considerable length of time. As such, it is unlikely throughout our evolutionary history that mothers could have reared multiple dependent children and maintained high fertility without the assistance of allomothers (nonmaternal caregivers). Cross-culturally, mothers are primary caregivers and maternal investment is unequivocally tied to child well-being. Yet, child rearing is a distributed endeavor. Human prosociality and the ubiquitous nature of allomaternal investment are evident around the world. These traits and characteristics situate humans under the umbrella of cooperative breeding species - allomothers are essential to child development and contribute to positive developmental outcomes. Therefore, the greater social and caregiving environment in which children are raised is an integral part of child well-being. This chapter explores our current understanding regarding the cross-cultural context, depth, and breadth of allomaternal investment, reviewing allomaternal direct and indirect effects on child survivorship and physical, social, and emotional development. The cooperative nature of human child rearing suggests that others should not be regarded as supplementary; rather, allomothers are crucial contributors to well-being across the early life course.