Women's Labor Force Participation and Preschool Enrollment: A Cross-National Perspective, 1965-80

Abstract

This article describes the worldwide expansion of preschool enrollments between 1965 and 1980 and summarizes the findings of a longitudinal study linking expanded preschool enrollments with women's increased levels of participation in the labor force. Economic, political, and organizational explanations for the expansion of preschool enrollment were also tested in the study. It was found that a floor of economic development is necessary before preschool expansion can take place. In industrialized countries, the effect of women's participation in the service and industrial sectors of the labor force is evident; it indicates a shift in the care and education of young children from the family to the school.