Given that in a community, there will be some parents who make use of preschool provision and some who do not, are there any discernible differences or similarities between the two groups of parents? Do the reasons parents offer for use or disuse, however cogent they may be, mask a more fundamental difference between families who do not take part in preschool provision and those who do? These are problems to which this exploratory study seeks answers. The Hillington Borough Council allowed researchers to monitor its program of establishing playgroups run by Tenants' Associations on some of its housing estates. One such estate, 'Hillcroft', housing a reasonably homogeneous community of working class families, became the focus of this study. Among the major findings, almost one-third of the families did not take up preschool provision which was available and guaranteed for their children. Negative responses were made to preschool provision in general. Results suggest that the degree of awareness and enthusiasm which mothers showed for preschooling was a reflection of the mother's own psychological situation. A large proportion of mothers interviewed had personal problems which precluded other than marginal concern for planned provision for their children. (Author/RH)