The Health Effects of Universal Early Childhood Interventions: Evidence from Sure Start

Sarah Cattan (), Gabriella Conti, Christine Farquharson (), Rita Ginja and Maud Pecher ()
Additional contact information
Sarah Cattan: Institute for Fiscal Studies
Christine Farquharson: Institute for Fiscal Studies
Maud Pecher: Institute for Fiscal Studies

No 2021-051, Working Papers from Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group

Abstract: Early Childhood Interventions (ECI) offering disadvantaged children preschool and family support services in the US show long-lasting health impacts. Can these benefits hold when these programs are offered to all children in contexts with universal healthcare? We evaluate the short- and medium-term health impacts of Sure Start, a universal integrated ECI in England, exploiting its 11-year rollout and administrative hospitalizations data. One additional Sure Start center per thousand age-eligible children increases hospitalizations by 10% at age 1, but reduces them by 8-9% across ages 11-15. Impacts are concentrated in disadvantaged areas and likely driven by both health and non-health services.

Keywords: health; difference-in-difference (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I14 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea, nep-ltv and nep-ure
Note: ECI, HI
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Cattan ... ts-universal-eci.pdf First version, November 17, 2021 (application/pdf)
http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Cattan ... universal-eci_r1.pdf Second version, November 22, 2021 (application/pdf)
http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Cattan ... universal-eci_v2.pdf Third version, October 12, 2022 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: The health effects of universal early childhood interventions: evidence from Sure Start (2022)
Working Paper: The Health Effects of Universal Early Childhood Interventions: Evidence from Sure Start (2021)
Working Paper: The Health Effects of Universal Early Childhood Interventions: Evidence from Sure Start (2021)
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