Parental involvement profiles and their association with children’s early development in Taiwan: a three-year longitudinal study

This study tracked 1979 preschool children to identify latent profiles of parental involvement and examine their longitudinal associations with children’s executive function, language, social skills, and gross and fine motor development. Latent profile analysis identified four parental involvement profiles: High Parental Involvement, Moderate Parental Involvement, Low Father Involvement, and Low Mother Involvement. In developmental outcomes, children in the High Parental Involvement profile tended to score highest across all domains; followed by those with Moderate Parental Involvement. Children in the Low Father Involvement profile exhibited lower performance in executive function and language development, while children in the Low Father Involvement profiles and Low Mother Involvement profiles both showed lower social development. Developmental differences across profiles remained stable over the follow-up period, highlighting that joint involvement of both parents, particularly active father engagement, is significantly associated with preschool children’s multi-domain development.These findings offer insights for family education and policy-making.