Early childhood investments and women’s work outcomes across the life course

Vida Maralani, Camille Portier and Berkay Özcan

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: This study investigates variability in women’s experiences balancing work and family, focusing on the association between early childhood investments and work trajectories. Using longitudinal data and event study models, we examine work participation from two years before to 10 years after first birth across different early childhood investment levels. Although sustained intensive investment is associated with the largest reduction in paid work, the relationship between child investment and work outcomes does not follow a simple “more investment, less work” pattern. Instead, investment intensity and duration both shape work trajectories. Women with more intensive short-term practices or moderate longer-term ones work at similar levels as women making lower investments. Patterns also differ by work outcome: not working is most differentiated by sustained intensive child investment, whereas hours worked are similar across a range of investment levels. Finally, women with constrained family resources consistently work more than those married to college-educated spouses.

Keywords: women's employment; work-family conflict; early childhood investment; parenting practices; breastfeeding duration; early childhood reading (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J01 R14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-02-24
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Published in Sociological Science, 24, February, 2026, 13, pp. 214-241. ISSN: 2330-6696

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:137456

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