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Family policies’ long-term effects on poverty: a comparative analysis of single and partnered mothers

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  • Zagel, Hannah
  • Van Lancker, Wim

Abstract

This study investigates whether generous family policies at the transition to parenthood reduce single and partnered mothers’ economic disadvantages later in the life course. Previous research usually focused on the immediate effects of family policies and disregards potential longer-term effects. In this study, we suggest taking a life-course perspective to study the relationships between family policy and mothers’ poverty risks. We empirically investigate how investment in child benefits, childcare services and parental leave measures at the transition to parenthood are associated with poverty outcomes at later life stages and whether these associations hold over time. We draw on pooled EU-SILC data, and an original policy dataset based on OECD expenditure data for child benefits, childcare and parental leave from 1994 to 2015. We find that mothers’ observed increase in poverty over time is slower in countries with high levels of spending for childcare at the transition to parenthood than in lower spending countries. The gap between partnered and single mothers was also diminishing in contexts of high childcare expenditure. For the other two policies, we did not find these links. These results do lend support to the claim that childcare is a prime example of a social investment policy with returns later in the life course and represents a life-course policy that seems to be able to disrupt economic path dependencies. The results for the other two policies suggest, however, a limited potential of family policy spending at transition to parenthood to reduce the poverty gap between partnered and single mothers over the course of life.

Suggested Citation

  • Zagel, Hannah & Van Lancker, Wim, 2022. "Family policies’ long-term effects on poverty: a comparative analysis of single and partnered mothers," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 32(2), pages 166-181.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:261097
    DOI: 10.1177/09589287211035690
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Harkness, Susan, 2022. "Single mothers’ income in twelve rich nations: differences in disadvantage across the distribution," ISER Working Paper Series 2022-06, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    2. Bram Hogendoorn & Juho Härkönen, 2023. "Single Motherhood and Multigenerational Coresidence in Europe," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 49(1), pages 105-133, March.
    3. Susan Harkness, 2022. "Single Mothers’ Income in Twelve Rich Countries: Differences in Disadvantage across the Distribution," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 702(1), pages 164-187, July.
    4. Rense Nieuwenhuis, 2022. "Single Parents Competing in a Dual-Earner Society: Social Policy to Level the Playing Field," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 702(1), pages 114-128, July.
    5. Susan Harkness, 2022. "Single Mothers’ Income in Twelve Rich Nations: Differences in Disadvantage across the Distribution," LIS Working papers 835, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    6. Alzbeta Bartova & Adeline Otto & Wim Van Lancker, 2022. "Making Parental Leave Policies Work for Single Mothers: Lessons from Europe," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 702(1), pages 129-148, July.

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