‘A Confusing and Frustrating Maze’: Underlying Reasons for Underenrollment in Preschool

In 2007, a group of community organizers in Chicago surveyed several low-income neighborhoods and discovered some disturbing news: Between 40 and 64 percent of preschool-aged children in those areas were not enrolled in the state's preschool program or Head Start -- even though both are free to at-risk children.

"Why Isn't Johnny In Preschool?" is a new report that both reveals what has stymied pre-k attendance among children with the greatest need for it and offers a series of recommendations for how to increase enrollment. It was published this spring by the early learning committee of a group called POWER-PAC, a Chicago organization of low-income parents who advocate for new ways to help families. Recommendations derive from more than 5,000 interviews conducted from 2006 to 2008 in low-income neighborhoods with predominantly Latino or African American populations.

The report coincides with Illinois' push to engage "hard to reach" populations in its statewide program, Preschool for All. This spring the Illinois State Board of Education has produced a "tool kit" with recommended strategies for reaching many more children. It provides step-by-step instructions for identifying community needs and partnering with community programs to help make preschool attendance easier for families.

Meanwhile, Catalyst Chicago, an independent newsgathering organization that focuses on education reform, recently published a series of articles on the issue that are well worth a read. One article, for example, tells the story of a 5-year-old whose mother moved five times in two years, including a stint at a homeless shelter, leading to sporadic preschool access. Another highlights the success of Blue Island School District 130, where principals and teachers went door-to-door to talk to families about the importance of early childhood education.

But as the POWER-PAC report shows, policymakers and educators must take more assertive steps to encourage preschool enrollment. One of the biggest sticking points, according to the POWER-PAC report, is that parents find the early childhood system confusing because of the different options, schedules and funding formulas for childcare and preschool. "Parents describe the process of enrolling children in early care and education as a confusing and frustrating maze," the report said.

Transportation was another problem, with parents or grandparents telling stories of having to take multiple buses to arrive at schools and juggling different pickup times for children of different ages in different schools. Other parents said their children didn't know enough English to enroll yet or were just "too young." A few parents worried about losing their childcare subsidy if they enrolled in Illinois' Preschool for All program even when that is not the case. Many could not afford the cost of "wrap-around care" that was necessary when preschool classes ended in the middle of the day.

Requirements to report income were also considered a barrier. One parent said: "Income guidelines, the questions in general as far as to put a child in school, you shouldn't have to go through that. I think that you should just be able to enroll your child in school. You shouldn't worry about income."

Among the report's recommendations for change:

• Beef up transportation programs.
• Offer more full-day programs and more half-day options.
• Increase home visits, launch media campaigns, fund community-based outreach.
• Simplify the enrollment process.
• Ultimately: "create one seamless system supporting quality, full-day, year-round universal preschool."

As Catalyst reporter Debra Williams put it: "Finding children who need preschool the most sometimes takes more than just putting out the welcome mat."