<![CDATA[ This study aims to examine parents’ perceptions of the importance of Early Childhood Education (PAUD) institutions in Nuaja Village, Ende Subdistrict, Ende Regency. The background of this study is the low level of parental participation in early childhood education, which has led to the closure of PAUD institutions in the village due to a steadily declining number of students. This study employs a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. The research subjects were parents of children aged 4–6 years, including those who had enrolled their children in PAUD institutions and those who had not. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive analysis model, which includes data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results indicate that the majority of parents hold positive perceptions regarding the importance of PAUD institutions. Parents recognize that PAUD plays a crucial role in supporting children’s cognitive, social, emotional, language, and motor development, as well as in preparing them for elementary school. However, there are still some parents who have limited understanding of PAUD due to low educational levels, economic conditions, lack of socialization, distance, and the influence of the surrounding environment. Therefore, stronger collaboration between the government, educators, and the community is needed to increase parental awareness and participation in early childhood education services in Nuaja Village. Keywords: parental perceptions, early childhood education, PAUD ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui persepsi orang tua terhadap pentingnya lembaga Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini (PAUD) di Desa Nuaja, Kecamatan Ende, Kabupaten Ende. Latar belakang penelitian ini adalah rendahnya partisipasi orang tua dalam pendidikan anak usia dini yang menyebabkan lembaga PAUD di desa tersebut mengalami penutupan akibat jumlah peserta didik yang terus menurun. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Subjek penelitian adalah orang tua yang memiliki anak usia 4–6 tahun, baik yang pernah maupun yang belum menyekolahkan anak di lembaga PAUD. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara semi terstruktur. Data dianalisis menggunakan model analisis interaktif Miles dan Huberman yang meliputi reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar orang tua memiliki persepsi positif terhadap pentingnya lembaga PAUD. Orang tua memahami bahwa PAUD berperan penting dalam mendukung perkembangan kognitif, sosial, emosional, bahasa, dan motorik anak, serta membantu kesiapan anak memasuki sekolah dasar. Namun, masih terdapat sebagian orang tua yang memiliki pemahaman terbatas tentang PAUD akibat rendahnya tingkat pendidikan, kondisi ekonomi, kurangnya sosialisasi, faktor jarak, serta pengaruh lingkungan sekitar. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan kerja sama yang lebih kuat antara pemerintah, pendidik, dan masyarakat untuk meningkatkan kesadaran serta partisipasi orang tua terhadap layanan pendidikan anak usia dini di Desa Nuaja. Kata Kunci: persepsi orang tua, pendidikan anak usia dini, PAUD]]>
