Table 2 Descriptive statistics
Variables | % | M (SD) |
|---|---|---|
The form of child’s ECEC | ||
 Public ECEC centre | 79.4 | – |
 Private ECEC centre + voucher | 10.7 | – |
 Private ECEC centre + private day care allowance | 9.9 | – |
Parental education level | ||
 Primary or secondary education | 24.3 | – |
 Higher education | 75.7 | – |
Household income level | ||
 Low | 19.6 | – |
 Middle | 61.1 | – |
 High | 19.3 | – |
Parents’ attitudes related to public and private ECEC provision and the chargeability of ECEC | ||
 1.1. My municipality offers a sufficient choice of day care services (e.g. provision at municipal and private day care centres and family day care) | – | 3.75 (1.18) |
 1.2. Municipal ECEC is of higher quality than private provision | – | 3.05 (0.95) |
 1.3. Private ECEC services should be more readily available | – | 2.82 (0.93) |
 1.4. Private ECEC offers a more diverse range of activities than municipal | – | 2.68 (0.92) |
 1.5. Municipalities should invest more in municipal ECEC provision than in subsidising private service | – | 3.68 (0.96) |
 1.6. Municipal ECEC providers are better in meeting children’s special needs than private providers | – | 3.16 (0.86) |
 1.7. ECEC should be free of charge for all children | – | 3.16 (1.35) |
 1.8. ECEC should be free for 5-year-old children | – | 3.63 (1.19) |
Parents’ attitudes related to the quality of ECEC | ||
 2.1. Children do not receive sufficient individual attention in ECEC | – | 2.57 (0.96) |
 2.2. The child’s need for support is adequately considered in ECEC | – | 3.73 (0.71) |
 2.3. Day care group sizes are too large | – | 3.94 (0.92) |
 2.4. ECEC provides the stimulation that children need | – | 4.12 (0.63) |
 2.5. ECEC is unable to secure lasting relationships | – | 2.72 (0.97) |
 2.6. Children learn necessary social skills in ECEC | – | 4.43 (0.59) |
 2.7. High-quality ECEC requires highly trained personnel | – | 3.82 (1.04) |
 2.8. Adults cannot spend enough time with children and/or listen to them in ECEC | – | 3.23 (0.97) |
 Parent’s country of birth (0 = Finland, 1 = other) | 88.6, 11.4 | – |
 The amount of ECEC received (0 = 0–27 h/week, 1 = over 27 h/week) | 18.7, 81.3 | – |
 Flexibly scheduled ECEC (0 = no, 1 = yes) | 96.3, 3.7 | – |