Abstract
Prior theoretical models and empirical research suggest that specific parent, child, and family factors are related to the utilization of early childhood education and care (ECEC). The political context of Norway provides a unique opportunity to test whether increased availability and affordability of care over time due to policy change reduces the gap between high- and low-socioeconomic status (SES) families in utilizing center-based care compared to other care arrangements. Progressive Norwegian child care policies were also expected to reduce the effect of child and family characteristics that might make a family less likely to enroll their child in center-based care. Using a large sample from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa, n?=?60,270), this research examined selection factors predicting enrollment in center-based ECEC at age 18 months across cohorts from 2002 to 2006. While families with higher parental education and income-to-needs ratios were more likely to enroll their children in center-based care, the progressive universal child care policy did succeed in reducing the utilization gap between the most and least educated families across time. The policy appeared to be protective against the effect of most other factors predictive of ECEC use, but the high number of children was still associated with underutilization.
Highlights
Increased utilization of early childhood education and care (ECEC), especially by socially disadvantaged children, is a political goal in many developed countries, including the United States (Obama 2013) and those in the European Union (European Commission 2011)
It is important to note that the birth cohorts from 2002 to 2006 correspond to ECEC use from 2003 to 2008, the latter being a wider window because children born within a single year could start ECEC in the following year or 2 years later, depending on their month of birth
The pattern of change in ECEC usage appeared consistent with our expectation of non-linear effects such that the children with least educated parents would demonstrate the largest increases in use across cohorts
Summary
Increased utilization of early childhood education and care (ECEC), especially by socially disadvantaged children, is a political goal in many developed countries, including the United States (Obama 2013) and those in the European Union (European Commission 2011). While there is an extensive literature on predictors of ECEC utilization in the United States and Europe, some of which addresses children from disadvantaged families, most previous studies provide ‘snapshots’ within a given ECEC policy context, but few have documented the effects of ECEC policy changes. ECEC utilization among socially disadvantaged families There is growing evidence, both in the United States and in Europe, that high-quality ECEC may be beneficial for children's cognitive development, especially for children from disadvantaged family backgrounds (e.g., Camilli et al 2010; Barnett 2011; Melhuish 2011; Dearing et al 2009; Keys et al 2013; Duncan and Sojourner 2013), with some documented benefits into adolescence (e.g., Apps et al 2013) and early adulthood (Havnes and Mogstad 2011). Concerns over detrimental effects of spending a large number of hours in care have been raised with regard to children's behavioral regulation, but recent evidence from Norway indicates no association between quantity of care and behavior problems (Zachrisson et al 2013a; Solheim et al 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
