THE ANTECEDENTS AND OUTCOMES OF EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR LATINO CHILDREN IN AMERICA: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The goals of this study are to address research gaps in the long-term effects of preschool programs for Latino children. It aims to characterize the early care and education utilization behaviors of Latino families in the first five years of life; solicit Latina immigrant mothers' perceptions of the factors that influence their decisions around preschool, including their personal and perceived barriers.; and determine whether and why parents' decisions about early care and education have implications for children's short- and long-term school success. The research questions guiding this study are: What are the processes by which Latino families select into formal preschool education? How do these selection factors differ for Latino families versus non-Latino families? What are Latina immigrant mothers' perceptions of preschool education and what obstacles, if any, do respondents perceive regarding their search for preschool or child care? To what extent are these decisions based on passive versus active agency? Are there short- or long-term associations between different types of preschool programs and children's school success and, if so, are these moderated by racial/ethnic group membership? Are the associations between early care and education programs and long-term development mediated by child- and adult-focused mechanisms? Are the associations between early care and education programs and children's short- and long-term functioning moderated by children's propensity for child care enrollment? To address these questions, this study will use a mixed-method strategy that integrates quantitative data from two nationally representative datasets, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth (ECLS-B) and Kindergarten Cohorts (ECLS-K), with in-depth interviews with immigrant Latina mothers in the Austin, Texas, community. Research questions will be addressed using regressions analysis, growth curve modeling, as well as propensity score analysis to explore the relations between children's child care arrangement at age 4 and their subsequent school success, as well as the factors that are associated with preschool participation. The qualitative data will be analyzed through both a priori themes from the extant literature as well as the themes that emerge more organically throughout the interview process.