Parental Choices and The Dynamics of Early Childhood Education and Care in Türkiye: Home-Based Ecec Or Institutional Ecec?

Abstract

Early childhood education and care (ECEC), one of the core components of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, refers to organized and sustained services that support the learning, development, and well-being of children. The short- and long-term benefits of investing in ECEC have been widely emphasized in both academic literature and reports by international organizations. However, in Türkiye, ECEC policies and practices remain fragmented, regionally uneven, and institutionally weak. In this context, this paper aims to examine the dynamics shaping parents’ ECEC choices in Türkiye, whether institutional (preschool, daycare, nursery) or home-based (relatives or paid caregivers). Drawing on 600 surveys and 58 in-depth interviews, the findings reveal that parents’ decisions are shaped by an intersection of structural and cultural factors. Limited public capacity, high private costs, and inflexible work schedules push families toward home-based arrangements, while concerns over emotional security, developmental ‘readiness,’ and motherhood norms remain decisive in shaping their choices.

Keywords

• child well-being
• early childhood education and care
• European Union
• EU social policy model
• ECEC
• home-based ECEC
• institutional ECEC
• SDG4

Türkiye’de Erken Çocukluk Eğitimi ve Bakımında Ebeveyn Tercihleri ve Dinamikleri: Ev mi Kurum mu?

Abstract

Erken çocukluk eğitimi ve bakımı (EÇEB), Birleşmiş Milletler Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları’nın temel bileşenlerinden biri olup, doğumdan okul çağına kadar çocukların öğrenme, gelişim ve iyi oluşlarını destekleyen örgütlü ve sürekli hizmetleri ifade eder. EÇEB’e yapılan yatırımların kısa ve uzun vadeli faydaları hem akademik literatürde hem de uluslararası kuruluşların raporlarında geniş biçimde vurgulanmaktadır. Ancak Türkiye’de EÇEB politikası ve uygulamaları parçalı, bölgesel olarak dengesiz ve kurumsal açıdan yetersizdir. Bu bağlamda bu çalışma Türkiye’de ebeveynlerin EÇEB tercihlerini – kurumsal (anaokulu, gündüz bakım evi, kreş) ya da ev temelli (akraba veya ücretli bakıcı) – belirleyen dinamikleri ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. 600 anket ve 58 derinlemesine görüşmeye dayanan bulgular, ebeveyn kararlarının yapısal ve kültürel etkenlerin iç içe geçtiği bir bağlamda şekillendiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Sınırlı kamu kapasitesi, yüksek özel ücretler ve esnek olmayan çalışma saatleri aileleri ev temelli çözümlere yöneltirken; duygusal güvenlik, gelişimsel ‘hazır oluş’ ve annelik normlarıyla ilişkili endişeler kararlarda belirleyici olmaktadır.

Keywords

• çocuk refahı
• erken çocukluk eğitimi ve bakımı
• Avrupa Birliği
• AB sosyal politika modeli
• EÇEB
• ev temelli EÇEB
• kurum-temelli EÇEB
• SKA4

References

1. Alaca, M. F., & Akbaşlı, S. (2025). Some Indicators Regarding Early Childhood Education and Care in Türkiye and Their International Comparison. International Journal of Educational Spectrum, 7(1), 80-95.
2. Aldıkaçtı-Marshall, G. (2013). Shaping gender policy in Turkey: Grassroots women activists, the European Union, and the Turkish State. State University of New York Press.
3. Aybars, A. I., & Tsarouhas, D. (2010). Straddling two continents: Social policy and welfare politics in Turkey. Social Policy & Administration, 44(6), 746-763.
4. Barsh, J., & Cranston, S. (2014). Can women fix capitalism. McKinsey Quarterly, 1-5.
5. Bozan, N. (2014). Okul öncesi eğitimde oyunun öğretmen görüşlerine göre değerlendirilmesi (Doctoral dissertation).
6. Buğra, A., & Keyder, Ç. (2006). The Turkish welfare regime in transformation. Journal of European social policy, 16(3), 211-228.
7. Calman, L. J., & Tarr-Whelan, L. (2005). Early Childhood Education for All: A Wise Investment: Recommendations Arising from the Economic Impacts of Child Care and Early Education, Financing Solutions for the Future, a Conference Sponsored by Legal Momentum's Family Initiative and the MIT Workplace Center. Legal Momentum.
8. Ceylan, Ş., Kahraman, Ö. G., Kılınç, N., & Ülker, P. (2019). Vineland Sosyal-Duygusal Erken Çocukluk Ölçeği'nin (VSDEÇÖ) Türkçe Uyarlaması: Geçerlik ve Güvenirlik Çalışması. Journal of History, Culture & Art Research/Tarih Kültür ve Sanat Arastirmalari Dergisi, 8(1), 299-319.

9. Çemrek, F., & Özaydın, Ö. (2019). Okul Öncesi eğitimde ailelerin kreş tercihleri ve kreşlerden beklentileri: Eskişehir örneği. Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 20, 559-575.
10. Daly, M., & Lewis, J. (2000). The concept of social care and the analysis of contemporary welfare states. The British journal of sociology, 51(2), 281-298.
11. Dedeoglu, S. (2012). Equality, protection or discrimination: Gender equality policies in Turkey. Social Politics, 19(2), 269-290.
12. Ecevit, Y. (2010). İşgücü Piyasasında Toplumsal Cinsiyet Eşitliği. El Kitabı, Ankara: TÜİK Yayınları.
13. Edwards, A. (2015). Recognising and realising teachers’ professional agency. Teachers and Teaching, 21(6), 779-784.
14. Erbil, F., & Göl-Güven, M. (2025). Accessibility and Affordability of Early Childhood Education and Care Services in Türkiye. Early Childhood Education in the Mediterranean: Availability, Accessibility and Affordability of Services, 5, 180.
15. Erkan, S., & Kırca, A. (2010). Okul öncesi eğitimin ilköğretim birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin okula hazır bulunuşluklarına etkisinin incelenmesi. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 38(38), 94-106.
16. Eslen-Ziya, H., & Kazanoğlu, N. (2022). De-democratization under the New Turkey? Challenges for women’s organizations. Mediterranean Politics, 27(1), 101-122.
17. Friedman, M. (2013). Mommyblogs and the changing face of motherhood. University of Toronto Press.
18. Fogel, R. W. (2004). Health, nutrition, and economic growth. Economic development and cultural change, 52(3), 643-658.
19. Gökmen, Ç. E. (2022). A new perspective on women’s care burden and employment in Turkey. New Perspectives on Turkey, 66, 11-34.
20. Göl-Güven, M. (2018). The relationship of the type of preschools with child development and parent involvement. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 10(1), 50-62.
21. Günay, G., & Bener, Ö. (2011). Kadınların toplumsal cinsiyet rolleri çerçevesinde aile içi yaşamı algılama biçimleri. Türkiye Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 153-171.
22. Heckman, J. J. (2006). Skill formation and the economics of investing in disadvantaged children. Science, 312(5782), 1900-1902.
23. Heckman, J. J. (2015). Introduction to a Theory of the Allocation of Time by Gary Becker. The Economic Journal, 125(583), 403-409.
24. Himmelweit, S., & Sigala, M. (2004). Choice and the relationship between identities and behaviour for mothers with pre-school children: Some implications for policy from a UK study. Journal of Social Policy, 33(3), 455-478.
25. İlkkaracan, P. (2010). Re/forming laws to secure women’s rights in Turkey: The campaign on the penal code. Citizen Action and National Policy Reform: Making Change Happen.
26. İlkkaracan, I., Kim, K., & Kaya, T. (2015). The impact of public investment in social care services on employment, gender equality, and poverty: The Turkish case. Research Project Report, Istanbul Technical University Women’s Studies Center in Science, Engineering and Technology and the Levy Economics Institute, in partnership with ILO and UNDP Turkey, and the UNDP and UN Women Regional Offices for Europe and Central Asia.
27. Johnson, R. B., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed methods research: A research paradigm whose time has come. Educational researcher, 33(7), 14-26.
28. Kagitcibasi, C., Sunar, D., Bekman, S., Baydar, N., & Cemalcilar, Z. (2009). Continuing effects of early enrichment in adult life: The Turkish Early Enrichment Project 22 years later. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30(6), 764-779.
29. Kazanoğlu, N. (2021). The politics of Europeanisation: work and family life reconciliation policy. Routledge.
30. Kazanoğlu, N., & Ketola, M. (2022). Understanding the moral economy of state-civil society relationships: Islam, women’s NGOs and rights-based advocacy in Turkey. Turkish Studies, 23(4), 600-622.
31. Korkmaz, B. C., & Demiryürek, Y. B. (2025). Türkiye’de çocuk bakım kuruluş modellerine güncel bir bakış. Toplum ve Sosyal Hizmet, 36(2), 299-320.
32. Leitner, S. (2003). Varieties of familialism: The caring function of the family in comparative perspective. European societies, 5(4), 353-375.
33. Lewis, J. (2006). Work/family reconciliation, equal opportunities and social policies: the interpretation of policy trajectories at the EU level and the meaning of gender equality. Journal of European public policy, 13(3), 420-437.
34. Lewis, J. (2009). Work–family balance, gender and policy. In Work–Family Balance, Gender and Policy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
35. Morgan, S. L. (2005). On the edge of commitment: Educational attainment and race in the United States. Stanford University Press.
36. Mustard, F. (Ed.). (2002). Early child development and the brain – the base for health, learning and behaviour throughout life. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
37. Myers, R. G. (2000). Financing early childhood education and care services. International Journal of Educational Research, 33(1), 75-94.
38. OECD (2021), Starting Strong VI: Supporting Meaningful Interactions in Early Childhood Education and Care, Starting Strong, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/f47a06ae-en.
39. OECD (2017), Starting Strong V: Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education, Starting Strong, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264276253-en.
40. Plantenga, J., & Remery, C. (2009). Parental leave in the Netherlands. CESifo DICE Report, 7(2), 47-51.
41. Razavi, S. (2011). Rethinking care in a development context: an introduction. Development and Change, 42(4), 873-903.
42. Saraceno, C., & Keck, W. (2010). Can we identify intergenerational policy regimes in Europe?. European societies, 12(5), 675-696.
43. Schober, P. S. (2014). Day care trends for children under three years in Germany. In The transformation of care in European societies (pp. 208-232). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
44. Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D. A. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
45. Smits, J., & Hoşgör, A. G. (2006). Effects of family background characteristics on educational participation in Turkey. International Journal of Educational Development, 26(5), 545-560
46. World Bank Group. (2015). Supply and demand for childcare services in Turkey: A mixed methods study: Türkiye’de çocuk bakım hizmetlerinde arz ve talep durumu. Washington, DC: World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/690781468000932565
47. Ulus, L., & Çetin, M. (2022). Türkiye’de okul öncesi eğitim politikaları ve yeni politika önerileri. Liberal Düşünce Dergisi, (107), 129-165.
48. Üstün, K. T. (2020). Kadının ücretsiz bakım emeğinin azaltılması kapsamında kurumsal çocuk bakım hizmetlerine erişim kreş hakkı. Çalışma ve Toplum, 3(66), 1557-1590.