What do parents want from preschool? Perspectives of low-income Latino/a immigrant families

Abstract With a qualitative approach drawing from four focus groups, this study explored what aspects of preschool were valued most by 30 low-income Latino/a immigrant parents with children enrolled in a state-funded preschool program in Texas. Beyond the push and pull factors of necessity, convenience, and supply, parents reported valuing the responsiveness of the school to families’ needs and concerns, the provision of a safe and developmentally appropriate environment, the role of preschool in both care and education, the incorporation of parents within the school, and the school’s capacity for developing parents’ human and navigational capital. Even though parents saw great value in preschool for preparing their children for school and helping themselves as parents, there was also fear and mistrust in neighborhood schools that was rooted in discrimination and long-term educational inequality.