Abstract

Early interventions at a preschool level are considered to be an important factor in combating social inequalities. Consequently, different policies have been put into practice in order to increase the supply of preschool facilities. Nevertheless, some parents choose to not enroll their children in preschool despite the sufficient supply of centers. Whereas most of the literature has focused on the effects of preschool attendance on several outcomes, we know very little about how this decision is being made. Using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Early Childhood (ELPI) held in Chile, this research examines parents’ childcare enrollment decisions. I use an exploratory confirmatory factor analysis (ECFA) approach generate profiles that were then connected with parents’ enrollment decisions. Later, I explain how each of these profiles relate to children's childcare attendance using regression analysis. The main results suggest that childcare attendance is mostly explained by childcare proximity and by the needs of working mothers. On the other hand, there seems to be a general lack of trust in childcare educational benefits among mothers. This research contributes to the understanding and the design of policies oriented to close the gap between supply and demand for preschool. In particular, whereas availability plays an important role in enrollment decisions, quality improvements and better communication of the educational benefits of childcare are key in raising the demand for preschool.