Do child care characteristics influence continued childbearing in Sweden? An investigation of the quantity, quality, and price dimension

Gunnar Andersson, Ann-Zofie Duvander and Karsten Hank
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Gunnar Andersson: Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
Karsten Hank: Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany

No WP-2003-013, MPIDR Working Papers from Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany

Abstract: We link population register data to information on regional child care characteristics in order to estimate the influence of the latter on second and third birth intensities of Swedish couples in 1997-98. Our analysis allows us to distinguish interactions and specific effects of different dimensions of the local day-care infrastructure, namely the provision rate, the child-to-staff-ratio, and the costs of care to parents. However, our results reveal no clear effects of these child care characteristics on Swedish couples’ continued childbearing. We interpret this absence of effects as a reflection of the generally very appropriate level of child care in Sweden, which is complemented by further supportive family policies. In such a context, moderate regional variations in the characteristics of day care may have no decisive impact on parents’ propensity to have another child.

Keywords: Sweden; child care; fertility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 25 pages
Date: 2003
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2003-013

DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2003-013

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