Free Day Care Research Articles

Free daycare policies, family choices and child development

Over recent decades, many governments have expanded state-subsidized daycare for preschool children. Using the staggered introduction of free universal daycare for children between the ages of two and six, we show that free daycare increases attendance only among 2-3-year-old children. There is no effect for older children for which attendance rates have been high even before the reforms. Similarly, labor market attachment increases for mothers with 2-3-year-olds, while mothers of 4-6-year-olds respond mostly at the intensive margin. Short-run development for the average child is largely unaffected by the reforms. Responses and short-run benefits are much more pronounced for poorer and low-skilled families than for the average household. Hence, despite being a universal program, free daycare helps to level the playing field for children from disadvantaged backgrounds – provided the policy is focused on age ranges with low prior attendance.

Free Daycare and Its Effects on Children and Their Families

Many governments invest substantial public funds to foster early childhood education. And yet, there are still many open questions who responds to and who benefits from public investments into early childcare. We use the introduction of free public daycare in German states to analyze its effects on children and their families. Our results suggest that effects of the policy differ by child age, gender and socio-economic status. Free daycare increases attendance among 2-3 year old’s with little response among older children. Yet, even with access to free daycare, we find few effects on maternal labor supply. Responses are generally stronger for poorer households and other vulnerable families. Child development, in turn, shows gender-specific effects that are in part explained by the differential choices parents of boys make compared to parents of girls.

Childcare effects on maternal employment: Evidence from Chile

Using a randomized experiment, this study examines whether offering afterschool care for children aged between 6 and 13 has an impact on labor market outcomes for women in Chile. The results show that program participation increases employment by 5% and labor force participation by 7%, while the intervention also generates substantial childcare substitution. The results also suggest that the provision of afterschool care for older children triggers the use of free daycare for young (ineligible) children.

The fallacy of chasing after work-life balance.

The fallacy of chasing after work-life balance.

Universal newborn hearing screening in an inner-city, managed care environment.

Universal neonatal hearing screening (UNHS) programs aim to identify and treat educationally significant hearing loss in the first months of life. Several states have mandated UNHS for all newborns. Such programs have been successful in small, homogeneous populations. As larger states attempt to implement such programs, important obstacles have arisen, particularly in sparsely populated rural environments and in the inner city, where poverty, unstable living situations, and inadequate access to health care make follow-up of infants failing initial testing difficult. We performed a prospective longitudinal study examining the effects of increasingly complex and expensive interventions designed to ensure that children failing initial hearing screening returned for complete evaluation and habilitation. A UNHS program based on transient evoked otoacoustic emissions testing was implemented at Temple University Hospital, with 2,000 births per year. At 6 months into the program, efficacy was assessed and modifications in follow-up methodology were made in an attempt to improved rate of return of infants failing newborn screening. The effect of these interventions was reassessed 6 months later. In its first 12 months, the Temple University Infant and Young Child Hearing Intervention Initiative successfully screened 95% (2,031) of all newborns using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions. Collecting a complete database profile for each newborn, establishing rapport with the family, and offering immediate follow-up appointments yielded a 61% return rate after discharge. The addition of a dedicated project secretary, free day-care for siblings, and cab vouchers for transportation and the elimination of a requirement for health maintenance organization referrals increased follow-up yield to 75%. Given adequate resources and planning, UNHS can be successful, even in economically depressed environments.