Almost four decades ago, it would have been inconceivable for a Greek mother to leave her child in someone else’s care. Her childcare needs would have been met by a close relative or neighbour, and together they would have formed a ‘collaborative team’ (Doumani, 1990). However, the dramatic socio-economic changes since the early 1950s and the sequential waves of urbanisation, particularly in Athens, have had a strong impact on family structure and traditional community life (Gizelis et al., 1984; Moussourou, 1990, 1998).