From Dawn till Dusk: Implications of Full-Day Care for Children's Development

42 Pages Posted: 20 Jun 2017

See all articles by Christina Felfe

Christina Felfe

University of St. Gallen; University of St. Gallen - Swiss Institute for Empirical Economic Research (SEW)

Larissa Zierow

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU)

Date Written: May 30, 2017

Abstract

A currently high-ranking question on the political agenda of many developed countries relates to the intensive margin of child care and thus to the effects of prolonging the opening hours of child care institutions. This study adds to the scarce literature on this question and investigates the consequences of expanding the supply of child care centers operating on a fullday basis on children’s skill development just before entering primary school. Identification relies on a substantial expansion of the number of full-day slots triggered by reforms of the German child care system. Using unique administrative data covering almost 100'000 children, we find positive effects on immigrant children’s school readiness. Yet, at the same time immigrant children suffer in terms of their socio-emotional development, a finding we also observe among native children from disadvantaged family backgrounds.

Keywords: Child Care, Child Development

JEL Classification: J130, I210, I380

Suggested Citation

Felfe, Christina and Zierow, Larissa, From Dawn till Dusk: Implications of Full-Day Care for Children's Development (May 30, 2017). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 6490, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2988935 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2988935

Christina Felfe (Contact Author)

University of St. Gallen ( email )

Bodanstrasse 6
St. Gallen, 9000
Switzerland

University of St. Gallen - Swiss Institute for Empirical Economic Research (SEW)

Varnbuelstrasse 14
St. Gallen, 9000
Switzerland

Larissa Zierow

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) ( email )

Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1
Munich, DE Bavaria 80539
Germany

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