Predicting Preschool Enrollment Among Hispanic WIC Participants in Los Angeles County
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Predicting Preschool Enrollment Among Hispanic WIC Participants in Los Angeles County Christina Schonberg1,3 · Brianna M. Goodale1 · Mariel K. Doerfel2 Published online: 4 July 2018 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018
Abstract The purpose of this study was to use structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify predictors of preschool enrollment among 3- and 4-year-olds in families of Hispanic WIC participants in Los Angeles County (N = 1349). Potential predictors included maternal education, maternal employment, home literacy environment, child’s age, and barriers to childcare. Results indicated that barriers to childcare and child’s age were positively related to preschool enrollment, whereas factors such as maternal education and home literacy environment did not significantly predict preschool enrollment. Based on these results, we suggest that efforts to educate families about the importance of preschool be combined with making preschool more financially and physically accessible to low-income families. Keywords Preschool · Education · Structural equation modeling · Poverty Preschool enrollment has been found to play a key role in children’s later academic outcomes (e.g., Gormley, Gayer, Phillips, & Dawson, 2005; Gullo & Burton, 1992; Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2004; Peisner-Feinberg et al., 2001; Sammons et al., 2004; Yoshikawa et al., 2013). Though there is some inconsistency in the literature about the strength and duration of these gains (see, e.g., Broberg, Wessels, Lamb, & Hwang, 1997; Bryant, Burchinal, Lau, & Sparling, 1994; Magnuson et al., 2004; but see also ChinQuee & Scarr, 1994; Kontos, 1991), which vary by program quality as well as child’s socioeconomic status (SES), positive effects of preschool on cognitive development are consistently found (e.g., Burchinal, Lee, & Ramey, 1989; Camilli, Vargas, Ryan, & Barnett, 2010; Fitzpatrick, 2008; see Barnett, 2007, for review). Especially for children from low-income backgrounds or children who are dual-language learners, preschool can help Christina Schonberg and Brianna M. Goodale are co-first authors. * Christina Schonberg [email protected] 1
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
2
Child360, Los Angeles, USA
3
Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095‑1563, USA
to build an academic and social foundation, which supports improved performance in kindergarten and beyond (Yoshikawa et al., 2013). This paper investigates how family and demographic factors in combination influence the plans of low-SES, primarily (85%) Hispanic families living in Los Angeles to enroll their children in preschool. For our purposes, we define low-SES families as those whose annual income is no more than 185% of the federal poverty line. These families are eligible for participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides participants with formula, breastfeeding support, n
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