Unpaid parental leave and nursery schools: are they substitute or complementary resources?

Abstract

Nursery schools and (full-time and part-time) parental leave are key resources used to ensure the work and family balance of Spanish families. This work examines how the use of unpaid parental leave influences nursery school attendance during the first three years of the child’s life. Data from a 2012 survey on parental leave in Spain was used. Three multivariate logistic regression models were created to analyze factors associated with nursery school attendance. The results suggest that part-time parental leave has a positive relationship with nursery school attendance, revealing a relationship of complementarity;

on the other hand, it is suggested that full-time parental leave is used as a substitute for nursery school attendance.