Parent engagement in early care and education settings: relationship with engagement practices and child, parent, and centre characteristics

Abstract

ABSTRACT Parent engagement in early care and education (ECE) settings is a component of high quality childcare, yet little is known about mechanisms of parent engagement in centre-based care. Using a nationally representative U.S. sample, we examined centre, classroom, and teacher characteristics associated with practices ECE providers use to engage parents, and the association between these practices and parent engagement at ECE centre-based programmes. Centres with lower adult-to-child ratios, more health and developmental services, fewer meal subsidies, more time spent in reading activities, and longer teacher tenure utilized more parent engagement practices. Parents engaged more at ECE centres that had higher levels of engagement practices, accepted subsidies, were not preschool programmes, and had teachers who believed children should learn to read in kindergarten. Additional research is needed to identify characteristics that contribute to variation in use of ECE engagement practices and policies that increase parent engagement.