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Quantity and quality of childcare and children’s educational outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Jo Blanden

    (University of Surrey)

  • Emilia Del Bono

    (University of Essex)

  • Kirstine Hansen

    (University College London)

  • Birgitta Rabe

    (University of Essex)

Abstract

Policy-makers wanting to support child development can choose to adjust the quantity or quality of publicly funded universal pre-school. To assess the impact of such changes, we estimate the effects of an increase in free pre-school education in England of about 3.5 months at age 3 on children’s school achievement at age 5. We exploit date-of-birth discontinuities that create variation in the length and starting age of free pre-school using administrative school records linked to nursery characteristics. Estimated effects are small overall, but the impact of the additional term is substantially larger in settings with the highest inspection quality rating but not in settings with highly qualified staff. Estimated effects fade out by age 7.

Suggested Citation

  • Jo Blanden & Emilia Del Bono & Kirstine Hansen & Birgitta Rabe, 2022. "Quantity and quality of childcare and children’s educational outcomes," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 785-828, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:35:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s00148-021-00835-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-021-00835-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Daniela Del Boca & Chiara Monfardini & Sarah Grace See, 2022. "Early Childcare Duration and Student' Later Outcomes in Europe," Working Papers 2022-021, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    2. Curristan, Sarah & McGinnity, Frances & Russell, Helen & Smyth, Emer, 2022. "Early childhood education and care in Ireland North and South," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS157, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Childcare; Child outcomes; Childcare quality; Regression discontinuity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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