Can center-based childcare reduce the odds of early chronic absenteeism?

Abstract

This study was the first to position itself in the intersection on research on center-based care and on chronic absenteeism. Given the growth in the utilization of center-based care and given the recent vocalized policy concerns of the detrimental effects of chronic absenteeism in early school years, this study inquired as to whether attending center-based care predicted differential odds of early absence patterns. Using a newly-released national large-scale study of children (the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011), the findings indicated that children who attended center-based care in prekindergarten had lower odds of being chronically absent in kindergarten. The conclusions were consistent even after employing multiple methodological approaches (fixed effects, propensity score matching) as well as exploring multiple definitions of chronic absenteeism, though were not differentiated by socioeconomic status. Additional noteworthy findings are discussed, including the significance of children's internalizing symptoms and parental mental health.