Föräldrars val och inställning till förskola och fritidshem: Resultat från föräldraundersökningen 2012.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate which daycare facilities - kindergartens and daycare in private homes (förskola, pedagogisk omsorg) – are used by parents from different population groups. Moreover, the study examines how childcare is organised for children who are not in kindergarten or in daycare in private homes, as well as the attitudes gaurdians/parents have to their children's childcare arrangements.

The study concludes that the social differences demonstrated in previous Swedish studies of children's participation in daycare facilities have disappeared or been reduced. So children attend daycare facilities to almost the same extent, regardless of the educational background of their guardians/parents.

The study shows that 92% of all children aged 1-5 attend a daycare facility, and 4% are in care in private homes. Most of the remaining 1-5-year-olds are at home with a parent who is often on parental leave. In recent years, daycare facilities have become an integrated part of the school system, and the pedagogical task has been expanded and been given a more central role. On average, children in daycare facilities (kindergarten or care in private homes) spend 31 hours a week in daycare, which is two hours more than in 2005. Children of working or student guardians/parents have the largest number of hours in daycare facilities. Children in urban areas spend longer hours in daycare than children in rural districts.

The study also shows that nearly nine in ten guardians/parents know that daycare facilities have a curriculum, and around half of these guardians/parents are familiar with the content of this curriculum. Highly qualified guardians/parents and guardians/parents born in Sweden are more likely to be familiar with the curriculum.

The study shows that guardians/parents of children in kindergarten and in care in private homes feel that their children are in good hands. Guardians/parents believe that the activities at the daycare facility stimulate their child's development and learning. Furthermore, they are satisfied with the staff, opening hours and distance from home. On the other hand, guardians/parents are less satisfied with holiday closing, the number of children, and access to the personnel. When guardians/parents choose a daycare facility for their child, the most important factors are distance to the home, staff, indoor and outdoor environment as well as the number of children.

The study is based on a parent survey conducted in autumn 2012 in which questionnaires were sent to guardians/parents of children aged 1-5 years. The random sample taken from the Swedish national register (RTB) includes 108,000 children. The random sample was taken across municipalities and includes children aged 1-5 years with Swedish or non-Swedish background (i.e. were the child and/or both parents born in Sweden?). The response rate is 54%.

The parent survey in 2012 is a continuation of previous similar parent surveys carried out in 1999, 2002 and 2005, respectively. The questions are linked to the types of activities the child is engaged in, the attitudes guardians/parents have to the type of activity their child is engaged in, how childcare facilities correspond with the wishes guardians/parents have for their child, family situation, working hours of guardians/parents, guardians'/parents' knowledge of curricula as well as motivation for choice of daycare facility.

Skolverket (2013). Föräldrars val och inställning till förskola och fritidshem: Resultat från föräldraundersökningen 2012. Stockholm: Skolverket.