The impact of policy measures and coaching on the availability and accessibility of early child care: a longitudinal study

We conducted a study of changes in the availability, accessibility and enrolment of children from low-income, single-parent and ethnic minority families in early child care centres. The study was carried out in Brussels which offers unique possibilities to study accessibility in a context in which quality and costs are controlled across centres. A survey on access policies in 89 day care centres, and on 150 mothers regarding their search process, was complemented by two focus groups attended by centre directors. The results were compared with data from a similar study we conducted in 2005. The results show that while inequality in availability has remained, centre directors' awareness of social priority criteria has changed, resulting in a significant increase in the enrolment of children from single-parent and ethnic minority families, and – to a lesser extent – an increase in the enrolment of children from low-income families. The results support the hypothesis that policy measures, combined with support, can influence inequalities in enrolment rates