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Application Barriers and the Socioeconomic Gap in Child Care Enrollment

Author

Listed:
  • Henning Hermesifo
  • Philipp Lergetporer
  • Frauke Peter
  • Simon Wiederhold

Abstract

Why are children with lower socioeconomic status (SES) substantially less likely to be enrolled in child care? We study whether barriers in the application process work against lower-SES children—the group known to benefit strongest from child care enrollment. In an RCT in Germany with highly subsidized child care (), we offer treated families information and personal assistance for applications. We find substantial, equity-enhancing effects of the treatment, closing half of the large SES gap in child care enrollment. Increased enrollment for lower-SES families is likely driven by altered application knowledge and behavior. We discuss scalability of our intervention and derive policy implications for the design of universal child care programs. (JEL: I21, J13, J18, J24, C93)

Suggested Citation

  • Henning Hermesifo & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2025. "Application Barriers and the Socioeconomic Gap in Child Care Enrollment," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 23(3), pages 1133-1172.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jeurec:v:23:y:2025:i:3:p:1133-1172.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeea/jvae054
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    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Silke Anger & Jacopo Bassetto & Malte Sandner, 2024. "Lifting Barriers to Skill Transferability: Immigrant Integration through Occupational Recognition," Development Working Papers 498, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    3. Angerer, Silvia & Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela & Lergetporer, Philipp & Rittmannsberger, Thomas, 2023. "How does the vaccine approval procedure affect COVID-19 vaccination intentions?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    4. Henning Hermes & Marina Krauß & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2022. "Early Child Care, Maternal Labor Supply, and Gender Equality: A Randomized Controlled Trial," CESifo Working Paper Series 10178, CESifo.
    5. Jorge Luis García & James J. Heckman, 2023. "Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 15(1), pages 349-388, September.
    6. Henning Hermes & Marina Krauß & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2024. "The Causal Impact of Gender Norms on Mothers’ Employment Attitudes and Expectations," CESifo Working Paper Series 11572, CESifo.
    7. Laudine Carbuccia & Valentin Thouzeau & Carlo Barone & Coralie Chevallier, 2025. "Unequal access to early childcare: What role do cognitive and behavioral factors play? A PRISMA systematic review," Mind & Society: Cognitive Studies in Economics and Social Sciences, Springer;Fondazione Rosselli, vol. 24(2), pages 587-620, December.
    8. De Groote, Olivier & Rho, Minyoung, 2024. "Matching disadvantaged children to day care: Evidence from a centralized platform," TSE Working Papers 24-1600, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Feb 2026.
    9. Hermes, Henning & Lergetporer, Philipp & Mierisch, Fabian & Schwerdt, Guido & Wiederhold, Simon, 2024. "Information about inequality in early child care reduces polarization in policy preferences," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    10. Katharina Spieß C., 2025. "Förderung der frühen Bildung auch in alternden Gesellschaften: Warum es ein Bundesprogramm für Kitas braucht," Wirtschaftsdienst, Sciendo, vol. 105(2), pages 84-89.
    11. Carbuccia, Laudine & Heim, Arthur & Barone, Carlo & Chevallier, Coralie, 2024. "Investigating how administrative burden and search costs affect social inequalities in early childcare access, a randomised controlled trial," OSF Preprints w2ey7, Center for Open Science.
    12. repec:osf:osfxxx:w2ey7_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Wonsik Ko & Robert A. Moffitt, 2022. "Take-up of Social Benefits," NBER Working Papers 30148, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Greta Morando & Lucinda Platt, 2022. "The Impact of Centre‐based Childcare on Non‐cognitive Skills of Young Children," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(356), pages 908-946, October.
    15. repec:osf:osfxxx:w2ey7_v2 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Hermes, Henning & Krauß, Marina & Lergetporer, Philipp & Peter, Frauke & Wiederhold, Simon, 2022. "Early Child Care and Labor Supply of Lower-SES Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IZA Discussion Papers 15814, IZA Network @ LISER.
    17. Henning Hermes & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Fabian Mierisch & Simon Wiederhold, 2023. "Males Should Mail? Gender Discrimination in Access to Childcare," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 113, pages 427-431, May.
    18. Lergetporer, Philipp & Rittmannsberger, Thomas & Werner, Katharina & Zeidler, Helen, 2025. "Anchoring Effects in the Elicitation of Multidimensional Beliefs: Evidence from a Representative Survey Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 17931, IZA Network @ LISER.
    19. Johannes Baur & Henning Hermes & Philipp Lergetporer & Fabian Mierisch & Guido Schwerdt & Simon Wiederhold, 2024. "Was weiß die deutsche Bevölkerung über Ungleichheiten im Zugang zu Kitas? Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Befragung," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 77(10), pages 36-38, October.
    20. Henning Hermes & Marina Krauß & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2025. "The Causal Impact of Gender Norms on Mothers’ Employment Attitudes and Expectations," Working Papers 2024-024, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    21. Sancassani, Pietro, 2023. "The effect of teacher subject-specific qualifications on student science achievement," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    22. Freundl Vera & Pfaehler Franziska & Schoner Florian & Wößmann Ludger, 2023. "Sinkendes Leistungsniveau, hohe Chancenungleichheit – Stand und Handlungsoptionen für die deutsche Schulbildung," Wirtschaftsdienst, Sciendo, vol. 103(4), pages 233-237, April.
    23. Angerer, Silvia & Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela & Lergetporer, Philipp & Rittmannsberger, Thomas, 2024. "Beliefs about social norms and gender-based polarization of COVID-19 vaccination readiness," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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