Latina mothers' barriers and reasons for not enrolling their children in preschool and their beliefs of preschool education

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore in detail reasons Latina mothers have for not enrolling their children in preschool programs and the barriers they face doing so. It was significant to conduct this qualitative study because achievement gaps among Latino children first appear in early childhood. The study also explored beliefs of preschool education to Latina mothers, their justifications for not enrolling their children, and their experiences of previous sibling enrollment. Twenty Latina mothers were selected for this study. One-on-one interviews were conducted with participants who had a 4 or 5-year-old child not enrolled in preschool and that will start Kindergarten in fall of 2008. The findings revealed that Latina mothers consider preschool education important in preparing their children for Kindergarten and laying a strong foundation for future academic development. The primary reason why Latino children are not being enrolled is there is either no preschool near their communities or there is limited access to preschool programs. Latina mothers that prefer keeping their children at home instead of being enrolled in preschool believe that younger children are better cared by their parents or family members.