Attachment of children who experience early entry to daycare in Punta Arenas, Chile: A pilot study

Abstract

This pilot study had the objective of determining the distribution of attachment among children who experience early entry to daycare centers. The Attachment During Stress scale was implemented with 25 baby-mother dyads whose children were aged between 10 and 14 months old and were attending daycare centers in the city of Punta Arenas. The study used a deliberate non-probabilistic sample and it is a non-experimental, descriptive study. The results show that the distribution of attachment was similar to the universal pattern. However, a long period of time attending a daycare center is associated with a higher risk of insecure attachment even the effects of early entry are controlled. Implications and possibilities for future studies are also discussed.