Does preschool improve child development and affect the quality of parent-child interaction? Evidence from Algeria

Moundir Lassassi ()

International Journal of Educational Development, 2021, vol. 82, issue C

Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of attending early childcare on the quality of parent–child interactions and children’s cognitive outcomes. Our strategy is to identify geographical differences on the basis of exposure to the program, using the period when the program was implemented across Algerian municipalities as a control for individual early childcare attendance. We estimate our results using 2SLS regression analysis and employ a difference-in-difference strategy. We use two Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys conducted in 2006 and 2012. Our results indicate a positive correlation of preschool on the cognitive development of children. In turn, the effect is only significant given the quality of interaction between mother and children. Therefore, this finding suggests that there is a substitution effect taking place, as mothers can utilize newly acquired time relieved from childcare to accomplish other pursuits. These findings call for future research on parents’, especially mother’s, time use when their children attend early childcare.

Keywords: Childcare; Cognitive skills; Family–child interaction; Time use; Two stage least squares; Difference-in-difference (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H75 I20 I28 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:injoed:v:82:y:2021:i:c:s0738059321000079

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102354

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