Gerilyn Slicker, Alex Faucheux, and Alain Bengochea (all Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education) published an article, "" in Early Education and Development. Using a multidimensional conceptualization of access to early education -- including being able to reasonably access affordable early education that supports children's development and supports families needs and preferences -- this study classifies early education centers that serve 4-year olds into latent profiles using nationally representative data. Results revealed four distinct early education center access profiles characterized by meeting a few (but not all) dimensions of access: (1) Most Features of Access, (2) Limited Features of Access, (3) Most Affordable, and (4) Available for 4-Year Olds. Results also identify disparities in access related to children's ability, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status but suggest that enrollment priority policies in place for publicly funded early education programs may promote more equitable access.
