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Non cognitive skills and childcare attendance

Author

Listed:
  • Daniela Del Boca

    (CesIfo, CEPR)

  • Enrica Maria Martino

    (CHILD - Collegio Carlo Alberto)

  • Chiara Pronzato

    (Collegio Carlo Alberto, Dondena)

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the impact of formal childcare attendance at ages 0–2 on children’s attitudes toward schooling and on social behavior at the end of the subjects’ first year of primary school and at the end of high school. We compare children who attended formal childcare with children who were looked after at home, but who otherwise shared similar characteristics, both in terms of family characteristics and in terms of the probability of having access to formal childcare in Italy, where the service is rationed. We find that having attended formal childcare significantly improves school readiness and social behavior in elementary school but that this impact disappears in high school. The effects are larger for boys and for children of mothers with lower educational attainment and of fathers in low-level occupations.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniela Del Boca & Enrica Maria Martino & Chiara Pronzato, 2022. "Non cognitive skills and childcare attendance," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1059-1085, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:20:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s11150-021-09591-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-021-09591-6
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Non Cognitive Skills and Childcare Attendance
      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2020-07-01 14:40:37
    2. Non Cognitive Skills and Childcare Attendance
      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2020-07-22 18:01:29

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    non-cognitive ability; Child development; Childcare;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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