The Effect of Community Children's Center Care Services on Children's Satisfaction with Center Use: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Peer Attachment

Objectives The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of the care services provided by local children's centers on the satisfaction of children using the centers and the mediating effect of peer attachment in this relationship. Methods To this end, 578 sixth graders (274 boys, 304 girls) who responded to the 3rd panel of the 3rd period of the local children's center children's panel (2020) were selected as research subjects and analyzed. Data analysis was performed using the Amos 29 statistical program to identify the structural relationship among the care services of local children's centers, peer attachment, and satisfaction with center use. Results The results of the study are as follows. First, the higher the care service of the local children's center, the higher the satisfaction of the children using the center. Second, the higher the care service of the children using the local children's center, the higher the peer attachment. Third, the analysis showed that the higher the peer attachment of the children using the local children's center, the higher the satisfaction of the center. Fourth, the partial mediating effect of peer attachment was verified in the relationship between the influence of the care service of the local children's center on the satisfaction of the children using the center. Conclusions In order to increase the satisfaction of center use, local children's centers should specialize in the five areas of care services (education, protection, culture, emotional support, and community connection) to meet the needs of children using them. In addition, local children's centers should have children using them voluntarily participate in the learning and program process, communicate, and improve peer relationships. Based on the above results, practical measures to increase the satisfaction of children using local children's centers were discussed.