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Child Care Choices by Italian Households

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Author Info
Del Boca, Daniela () (University of Turin, CHILD and IZA Bonn)
Locatelli, Marilena (University of Turin, CHILD)
Vuri, Daniela (University of Florence, CHILD and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

In spite of relatively generous public subsidies and a reputation for high quality, only a very limited proportion of Italian families use public child care. In this paper we explore the significance of various factors on the choices made between different types of child care. In part one, we use a simulation exercise to show the impact of cost and availability on child care choices. In part two, we present the results of an explorative econometric analysis using a matched data set for 1998 from the Bank of Italy (SHIW) and ISTAT Multiscopo. We find evidence that factors related to family composition and support as well as to the characteristics of child care are important in explaining the choices made by Italian families. Assistance provided by grandmothers and husbands appears to be of crucial significance to Italian mothers who are seeking to reconcile the difficulties stemming from the rigidity of the labor market and the limitations of child care. Rationing, both of public and private child care, also proves to be an important factor affecting households’ choices. An understanding of the importance of these factors is relevant in the evaluation of social policies encouraging mothers’ participation in the labor market in Italy.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 983.

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Length: 34 pages
Date of creation: Jan 2004
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp983

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Related research
Keywords: labor market decisions; child care;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
C3 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables
D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Philip K. Robins & Charles Michalopoulos, 2002. "Employment and child-care choices of single-parent families in Canada and the United States," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 465-493. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Blau, David M & Robins, Philip K, 1988. "Child-Care Costs and Family Labor Supply," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 70(3), pages 374-81, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Ribar, D.C., 1990. "Child Care And The Labor Supply Of Married Women: Reducted Form Evidence," Papers 9-90-9, Pennsylvania State - Department of Economics.
  4. Jean Kimmel, 1998. "Child Care Costs As A Barrier To Employment For Single And Married Mothers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 80(2), pages 287-299, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Alan Duncan & Gillian Paull & Jayne Taylor, 2001. "Price and quality in the UK childcare market," IFS Working Papers W01/14, Institute for Fiscal Studies. [Downloadable!]
  6. Alice Nakamura & Masao Nakamura, 1992. "The econometrics of female labor supply and children," Econometric Reviews, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 1-71. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Angrist, Joshua D & Evans, William N, 1998. "Children and Their Parents' Labor Supply: Evidence from Exogenous Variation in Family Size," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 450-77, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Andrea Ichino & Anna Sanz De Galdeano, 2004. "Reconciling Motherhood and Work: Evidence from Time Use Data in Three Countries," CSEF Working Papers 114, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy. [Downloadable!]
  9. Connelly, Rachel, 1992. "The Effect of Child Care Costs on Married Women's Labor Force Participation," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(1), pages 83-90, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Hausman, Jerry & McFadden, Daniel, 1984. "Specification Tests for the Multinomial Logit Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(5), pages 1219-40, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  11. Chevalier, A & Viitanen, T K, 2002. "The Causality between Female Labour Force Participation and the Availability of Childcare," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 9(14), pages 915-18, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Arellano, Manuel & Meghir, Costas, 1992. "Female Labour Supply and On-the-Job Search: An Empirical Model Estimated Using Complementary Data Sets," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 59(3), pages 537-59, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Emilia Del Bono & Massimiliano Bratti, 2004. "Work Attachment Of New Mothers: The Role Of Human Capital, Employment Stability And Job Protection In Italy," Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2004 17, Royal Economic Society. [Downloadable!]
  14. Maria Concetta Chiuri, 1999. "Intra-Household Allocation of Time and Resources: Empirical Evidence on a Sample of Italian Households with Young Children," CSEF Working Papers 15, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy. [Downloadable!]
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Wrohlich, Katharina, 2005. "The Excess Demand for Subsidized Child Care in Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 1515, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Jérôme de Henau & Danièle Meulders & Sile O'Dorchai, 2006. "The comparative effectiveness of public policies to fight motherhood-induced employment penalties and decreasing fertility in the former eu-15," Working Papers DULBEA 06-02.RS, Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA). [Downloadable!]
  3. Daniela Del Boca & Daniela Vuri, 2006. "The Mismatch between Employment and Child Care in Italy: the Impact of Rationing," CHILD Working Papers wp08_06, CHILD - Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic economics - ITALY. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Cristina Borra Marcos, 2006. "Female labour participation and child care choices in Spain," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2006/16, Centro de Estudios Andaluces. [Downloadable!]
  5. Del Boca, Daniela & Pasqua, Silvia & Pronzato, Chiara, 2004. "Why Are Fertility and Women’s Employment Rates So Low in Italy? Lessons from France and the U.K," IZA Discussion Papers 1274, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  6. Daniela Del Boca & Daniela Vuri, 2005. "Labor Supply and Child Care Costs: The Effect of Rationing," IZA Discussion Papers 1779, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Tom Kornstad & Thor Thoresen, 2007. "A discrete choice model for labor supply and childcare," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 781-803, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Daniela Del Boca & Silvia Pasqua & Chiara Pronzato, 2004. "Employment and Fertility Decisions in Italy, France and the U.K," CHILD Working Papers wp08_04, CHILD - Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic economics - ITALY. [Downloadable!]
  9. Katharina Wrohlich, 2006. "Labor Supply and Child Care Choices in a Rationed Child Care Market," IZA Discussion Papers 2053, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Mendez, Ildefonso, 2008. "Intergenerational Time Transfers and Internal Migration: Accounting for Low Spatial Mobility in Southern Europe," MPRA Paper 8654, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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