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What Is the Added Value of Preschool for Poor Children? Long-Term and Intergenerational Impacts and Interactions with an Infant Health Intervention

Author

Listed:
  • Maya Rossin-Slater
  • Miriam Wüst

Abstract

We study the impact of preschool targeted at children from low-income families over the life cycle and across generations, and examine its interaction with an infant health intervention. Using Danish administrative data with variation in the timing of program implementation over the period 1933–1960, we find lasting benefits of access to preschool on adult educational attainment, earnings, and survival beyond age 65. We also show that children of women exposed to preschool obtain more education by age 25. However, exposure to a nurse home visiting program in infancy reduces the added value of preschool, implying that the programs serve as partial substitutes.

Suggested Citation

  • Maya Rossin-Slater & Miriam Wüst, 2020. "What Is the Added Value of Preschool for Poor Children? Long-Term and Intergenerational Impacts and Interactions with an Infant Health Intervention," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 255-286, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:12:y:2020:i:3:p:255-86
    DOI: 10.1257/app.20180698
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Raj Chetty & John N. Friedman & Nathaniel Hilger & Emmanuel Saez & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach & Danny Yagan, 2011. "How Does Your Kindergarten Classroom Affect Your Earnings? Evidence from Project Star," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(4), pages 1593-1660.
    2. Miriam Wüst & Erik Lykke Mortensen & Merete Osler & Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, 2018. "Universal infant health interventions and young adult outcomes," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(8), pages 1319-1324, August.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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