Parents' Perceptions of Childcare Centers and the Relationship with Involvement in Parenting Activities

The purpose of this study is to obtain guardians' views on childcare centers and their involvement in parenting activities organized in the Putrajaya area. Additionally, the objectives of this study are (1) to examine parents' perceptions of sending their children to childcare centers; (2) to identify the level of parental involvement in parenting activities organized by the childcare centers; and (3) to identify the relationship between the motivation for choosing childcare centers and parental involvement in the parenting activities organized by these centers. A questionnaire (Google Form) was used to collect information on parents' perceptions of childcare centers and the relationship between involvement in the activities organized. A total of 231 parents and guardians of children from the Putrajaya area were randomly selected to answer the distributed questionnaire. The study data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) application and reported descriptively. Descriptive analysis involved frequency, percentage, and mean, while inferential analysis used correlation tests. The study findings indicate that parents' perceptions of childcare centers had a mean of 4.78 (SD = .140), while the level of involvement in parenting activities had a mean of 4.33. Statistical analysis through correlation tests showed no significant relationship between parents' perceptions of childcare centers and parental involvement in activities organized by these centers. The implications of this study can serve as guidance for future researchers in improving childcare centers and emphasizing the importance of parental involvement in children's development.