No Child Left Behind: Universal Child Care and Children’s Long-Run Outcomes

Tarjei Havnes and Magne Mogstad

No 4561, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: There is a heated debate in the US, Canada and many European countries about introducing universally accessible child care. However, studies on universal child care and child development are scarce and only consider short-run outcomes. We analyze the introduction of universal child care in Norway, addressing the impact on children's long-run outcomes. Our precise and robust difference-in-difference estimates show that child care had strong positive effects on children's educational attainment and labor market participation, and also reduced welfare dependency. Subsample analysis indicates that children with low educated mothers and girls benefit the most from child care.

Keywords: child development; universal child care; long-run outcomes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H40 I28 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 60 pages
Date: 2009-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eec and nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

Published - published in: American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2011, 3 (2), 97-129

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Related works:
Working Paper: No Child Left Behind: Universal Child Care and Children's Long-Run Outcomes (2009)
Working Paper: No Child Left Behind. Universal Child Care and Children's Long-Run Outcomes (2009)
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