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Time gap between termination of paid parental leave and eligibility for early childhood education and care services in Croatia
Ana Marija Sikirić Simčić* 
Article | Year: 2025 | Pages: 591 - 614 | Volume: 49 | Issue: 4 Received: October 11, 2024 | Accepted: July 15, 2025 | Published online: December 2, 2025
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FULL ARTICLE
FIGURES & DATA
REFERENCES
CROSSMARK POLICY
METRICS
LICENCING
PDF
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Variables names
|
Coefficient (b)
|
Std. error (SE)
|
z-value
|
p-value
|
Odds ratio (OR)
|
95% CI for OR
|
|
Residence size (LGU)
|
-0.218
|
0.081
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-2.680
|
0.007
|
0.804
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0.686 – 0.943
|
|
Child’s month of birth (CMONTH)
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-0.116
|
0.024
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-3.900
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0.000
|
0.890
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0.840 – 0.944
|
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Employment status (EMPL)
|
0.292
|
0.433
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0.670
|
0.500
|
1.339
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0.573 – 3.128
|
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Constant
|
0.761
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0.495
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1.740
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0.125
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2.140
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0.810 – 5.651
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Source: Own calculations using STATE/SE 13.0.
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Themes
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Number of participants
|
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Insufficient capacity and
long waiting lists
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103
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Overcrowded groups and staff shortages
|
96
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Inflexible and unfair
enrolment policies
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44
|
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Positive experiences
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35
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Mismatch with parental work
schedules
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20
|
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High costs
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19
|
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Reliance on informal care
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17
|
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Quality of care and dedication of staff
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14
|
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Impact on child and family
well-being
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12
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Do you plan to utilise early childhood education and care
services after finishing parental leave?
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Yes
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No
|
|
|
f
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%
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f
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%
|
|
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Yes
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63
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46.0
|
18
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31.0
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No, because I choose
to look after the child myself
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Yes, but I have to
wait for the start of the new pedagogic year (beginning of September)
|
68
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49.6
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39
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67.2
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No, because I have
alternatives (e.g., grandparents, hired lady)
|
|
Yes, but I am not
able to due to other reasons
|
6
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4.4
|
1
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1.7
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No, due to other
reasons
|
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Total
|
137
|
100
|
58
|
100
|
|
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Do you utilise early childhood
education and
care services?
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Yes
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No
|
|
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f
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%
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f
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%
|
|
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Yes, after finishing
parental leave
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172
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51.7
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35
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24.1
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No, because I choose
to look after the child myself
|
|
Yes, but I had to
wait for the start of the new pedagogic year (beginning of September)
|
123
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36.9
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19
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13.1
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No, because I was on
sick leave to look after my pregnancy or was on extended parental leave
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I had planned to do
so, but it was too expensive
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4
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1.2
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85
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58.6
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No, because I have
alternatives (e.g., grandparents, hired lady)
|
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I had planned to do
so, but we are currently on the waiting list (or we were)
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34
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10.2
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6
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4.1
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No, due to other
reasons
|
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Total
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333
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100
|
145
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100,0
|
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Source: Author.
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Tabulation of CMONTH CGAP, RSIZE CGAP and EMPL CGAP
|
|
|
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CMONTH – Child's
month of birth
|
CGAP (Care gap)
|
|
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0 – no care gap
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1 – care gap present
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Total
|
|
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1 –
January
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23
|
17
|
40
|
|
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2 –
February
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19
|
18
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37
|
|
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3 –
March
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15
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15
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30
|
|
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4 – April
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12
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27
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39
|
|
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5 – May
|
10
|
20
|
30
|
|
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6 –
June
|
11
|
22
|
33
|
|
|
7 –
July
|
26
|
16
|
42
|
|
|
8 –
August
|
26
|
12
|
38
|
|
|
9 –
Sptember
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23
|
6
|
29
|
|
|
10 –
October
|
24
|
12
|
36
|
|
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11 –
November
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23
|
9
|
32
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|
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12 –
December
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22
|
11
|
33
|
|
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Total
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234
|
185
|
419
|
|
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Pearson
Chi2 = 39.81 Prob = 0.0000
|
|
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RSIZE –
Residence size
|
CGAP(Care gap)
|
|
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0
|
1
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Total
|
|
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1 –
up to 10.000 citizens
|
64
|
70
|
134
|
|
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2 –
10.000 to 50.000 citizens
|
55
|
46
|
101
|
|
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3 –
50.000 to 100.000 citizens
|
24
|
15
|
39
|
|
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4 – more
than 100.000 citizens
|
91
|
56
|
147
|
|
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Total
|
234
|
187
|
421
|
|
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Pearson
Chi2 = 6.31, Prob = 0.0974
|
|
|
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EMPL -
Employment status
|
CGAP (Care gap)
|
|
|
0
|
1
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Total
|
|
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0
|
15
|
10
|
25
|
|
|
1
|
219
|
177
|
396
|
|
|
Total
|
234
|
187
|
421
|
|
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Pearson
Chi2 = 0.21, Prob = 0.6467
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Source: Author.
Table 1Logistic regression results – predicting the presence of a care gap DISPLAY Table
Table 2Main themes and their frequency in the responses of participants DISPLAY Table
Figure A1Structure of questionnaire DISPLAY Figure
Table A1Intention to utilise ECEC services by respondents with children younger than 12 months DISPLAY Table
Table A2Utilisation of ECEC services by respondents with children older than 12 months of age DISPLAY Table
Table A3Results of the Chi-Square Test of Independence for different categorical variables DISPLAY Table
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December, 2025
IV/2025
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