That every child has the right to receive education and care beginning from the date of birth is established in the UN Convention on the Right of the Child. This is based on the idea that the first years of the child development are the most critical ones and in this early stage the main foundation for future education and life-experiences is laid (Mentzos, 2005; Rudolf, 2000; Dornes, 2000). From the Italian point of view early childhood educational services becomes an important opportunity in population, because parents are able to entrust their children to professional day nannies. These services are divided in private and public as well as part-time or full-time for children from 3 to 36 months. The “early childhood educational services” includes not only a healthy and physical development of the child through the presence of adults that help to acquire knowledge, skills and competencies, but it should also provide help to the parents. This shall apply also to children with disabilities.

Another important aspect connected with the early childhood educational services is the change in the structure of the families in modern societies, where families are decreasing, the nuclear family’s situations are more demanding and women are working (i.e. Smorti et al., 2012). Even more the education of children in the earliest years is seen as the responsibility of the mother, the nearest relatives or caregivers. If a mother instead decides to entrust her child into a professional early childhood educational service, maybe also because of the lack of a familiar network around them, very often she runs into inner conflicts (Ahnert & Lamb, 2003), that are also caused through the communities’ expectations. Especially parents of children with disabilities find themselves with more pressure.

There are no empirical studies dealing with these phenomena and problems.

The main issues of the investigation are:

• demographic data on children (3 - 36M) with formal diagnosed disabilities in South Tyrol (Italy)
• reasons why parents entrust their child to early childhood educational services or not
• mother perspective:
  • life satisfaction,
  • emotional experiences,
  • coping strategies and emotional regulation

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