Socioeconomic factors, care alternatives and parenting values access to the stage 0-3

In recent decades, most European educational systems have undergone reforms aimed at increasing early schooling. However, enrollment in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education continues to be unequal among the different social groups, which reduces its efficiency in promoting educational and social equity. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the personal and institutional conditioning factors that influence access, in order to guide public policies. Most of the previous research uses data prior to March 2020, mainly includes socioeconomic variables and limits its analysis to schooling at this stage. This article addresses the effect of variables related to the parenting values and other choices of childcare, including an analysis of the adjustment between the actual age and the ideal age for accessing these services, as well as the reasons identified by parents for not enrolling at this stage. Descriptive analyzes and binary logistic regression models were carried out using data from an online survey conducted in 2021 among 3,112 parents with children between 0 and 6 years of age. Among other variables, non-enrollment or enrollment later than desired is related to the employment situation of both members of the couple, the belief that the child is too young, the availability of childcare alternatives and the price; being a woman increases the probability of considering that they have accessed this service too late. Although the socioeconomic situation and the offer characteristics are determining factors in access to this stage, both the parenting values and the availability of childcare alternatives emerge as key elements in the decision-making process.