IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/reveho/v22y2024i2d10.1007_s11150-023-09668-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trade-offs in intergenerational family care provision

Author

Listed:
  • Monica Harber Carney

    (College of the Holy Cross)

Abstract

With an aging U.S. population, there is an increasing need for elderly care. One aspect of family care that is poorly understood is the trade-off for the generation of grandparents between the provision of care and support for their elderly parents and provision of care for their grandchildren. I evaluate the impact of a parent’s death on the likelihood of an individual providing child care to grandchildren using the Health and Retirement Study and find that such a death leads to an increase in the likelihood of child care, suggesting that many grandparents would provide child care services if they did not have prior elderly care and support obligations. There is a positive effect of this additional care of grandchildren on fertility for individuals’ only daughters and daughters who do not live within 10 miles of grandparents. However, there is no increase in labor force participation for these groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Monica Harber Carney, 2024. "Trade-offs in intergenerational family care provision," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 563-593, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:22:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11150-023-09668-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-023-09668-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11150-023-09668-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11150-023-09668-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miller, Ray & Sedai, Ashish Kumar, 2022. "Opportunity costs of unpaid caregiving: Evidence from panel time diaries," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    2. Eibich, Peter & Siedler, Thomas, 2020. "Retirement, intergenerational time transfers, and fertility," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    3. Joseph Ferrie & Catherine Massey & Jonathan Rothbaum, 2021. "Do Grandparents Matter? Multigenerational Mobility in the United States, 1940–2015," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(3), pages 597-637.
    4. Massimiliano Bratti & Tommaso Frattini & Francesco Scervini, 2018. "Grandparental availability for child care and maternal labor force participation: pension reform evidence from Italy," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 31(4), pages 1239-1277, October.
    5. Braun, Sebastian Till & Stuhler, Jan, 2018. "The Transmission of Inequality Across Multiple Generations: Testing Recent Theories with Evidence from Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 128(609), pages 576-611.
    6. Eva Garcia-Moran & Zoe Kuehn, 2017. "With Strings Attached: Grandparent-Provided Child Care and Female Labor Market Outcomes," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 23, pages 80-98, January.
    7. Emily E. Wiemers & Suzanne M. Bianchi, 2015. "Competing Demands from Aging Parents and Adult Children in Two Cohorts of American Women," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 41(1), pages 127-146, March.
    8. Mikael Lindahl & Mårten Palme & Sofia Sandgren Massih & Anna Sjögren, 2015. "Long-Term Intergenerational Persistence of Human Capital: An Empirical Analysis of Four Generations," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 50(1), pages 1-33.
    9. Schmitz, Hendrik & Westphal, Matthias, 2017. "Informal care and long-term labor market outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-18.
    10. Jason Long & Joseph Ferrie, 2018. "Grandfathers Matter(ed): Occupational Mobility Across Three Generations in the US and Britain, 1850–1911," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(612), pages 422-445, July.
    11. Daniela Boca & Daniela Piazzalunga & Chiara Pronzato, 2018. "The role of grandparenting in early childcare and child outcomes," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 477-512, June.
    12. Eva Garcia-Moran & Zoe Kuehn, 2017. "With Strings Attached: Grandparent-Provided Child Care and Female Labor Market Outcomes," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 23, pages 80-98, January.
    13. Sebastian Till Braun & Jan Stuhler, 2018. "The Transmission of Inequality Across Multiple Generations: Testing Recent Theories with Evidence from Germany," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(609), pages 576-611, March.
    14. Carmichael, Fiona & Charles, Susan, 2003. "The opportunity costs of informal care: does gender matter?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 781-803, September.
    15. Ainhoa Aparicio-Fenoll & Marian Vidal-Fernandez, 2015. "Working Women and Fertility: the Role of Grandmothers’ Labor Force Participation," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 61(1), pages 123-147.
    16. Rupert, Peter & Zanella, Giulio, 2018. "Grandchildren and their grandparents' labor supply," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 89-103.
    17. Emanuela Cardia & Serena Ng, 2003. "Intergenerational Time Transfers and Childcare," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 6(2), pages 431-454, April.
    18. Elisabeth Fevang & Snorre Kverndokk & Knut Røed, 2012. "Labor supply in the terminal stages of lone parents’ lives," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 25(4), pages 1399-1422, October.
    19. Ralitza Dimova & François-Charles Wolff, 2011. "Do downward private transfers enhance maternal labor supply? Evidence from around Europe," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 24(3), pages 911-933, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jim Been & Anne C. Gielen & Marike Knoef & Gloria Moroni, 2022. "Prolonged worklife among grandfathers: Spillover effects on grandchildren's educational outcomes," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-033/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    2. Ainoa Aparicio Fenoll, 2020. "The uneven impact of women's retirement on their daughters' employment," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 795-821, September.
    3. Gema Zamarro, 2020. "Family labor participation and child care decisions: the role of grannies," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 287-312, September.
    4. Ilciukas, Julius, 2023. "Fertility and parental retirement," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    5. Pelin Akyol & Zeynep Yılmaz, 2024. "Effects of Grandmothers' Proximity on Mothers' Labour Force Participation," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 86(5), pages 1122-1162, October.
    6. Edoardo Frattola, 2023. "Parental retirement and fertility decisions across family policy regimes," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1417, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    7. Leimer, Birgit & van Ewijk, Reyn, 2022. "Are grandchildren good for you? Well-being and health effects of becoming a grandparent," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    8. Eibich, Peter & Siedler, Thomas, 2020. "Retirement, intergenerational time transfers, and fertility," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    9. Eiji Yamamura, 2021. "View about consumption tax and grandchildren," Papers 2102.04658, arXiv.org.
    10. Nguyen, Quynh-Nga, 2024. "Intergenerational time transfer, retirement and public pensions," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    11. Garrett Anstreicher & Joanna Venator, 2022. "To Grandmother’s House We Go: Childcare Time Transfers and Female Labor Mobility," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 1051, Boston College Department of Economics.
    12. Osuna Victoria, 2021. "Subsidising Formal Childcare Versus Grandmothers' Time: Which Policy is More Effective?," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 15(1), pages 85-111, January.
    13. Daniela Boca & Daniela Piazzalunga & Chiara Pronzato, 2018. "The role of grandparenting in early childcare and child outcomes," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 477-512, June.
    14. Deng, Yue & Zhou, Yuqian & Hu, Dezhuang, 2023. "Grandparental childcare and female labor market behaviors: Evidence from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    15. Wolfgang Frimmel & Martin Halla & Bernhard Schmidpeter & Rudolf Winter-Ebmer, 2022. "Grandmothers’ Labor Supply," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(5), pages 1645-1689.
    16. Erich Battistin & Michele De Nadai & Mario Padula, 2015. "Roadblocks on the Road to Grandma�s House: Fertility Consequences of Delayed Retirement," Working Papers 748, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    17. Eiji Yamamura & Giorgio Brunello, 2023. "Effect of grandchildren on the happiness of grandparents: Does the grandparent's child's gender matter?," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 37(2), pages 149-163, June.
    18. Pablo Celhay & Sebastian Gallegos, 2025. "Schooling mobility across three generations in six Latin American countries," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 38(1), pages 1-35, March.
    19. Peter Eibich & Xianhua Zai, 2024. "Are the grandparents alright? The health consequences of grandparental childcare provision," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(4), pages 1-32, December.
    20. Haiyue Yu & Jin Cao & Shulong Kang, 2018. "Fertility Cost, Intergenerational Labor Division, and Female Employment," CESifo Working Paper Series 7293, CESifo.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Child care; Elderly care; Labor force participation; Fertility; Gender;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:22:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11150-023-09668-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.