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How Daycare Quality Shapes Norms around Daycare Use and Parental Employment: Experimental Evidence from Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Philipp, Marie-Fleur

    (University of Tübingen)

  • Büchau, Silke

    (University of Tübingen)

  • Schober, Pia S.

    (University of Tübingen)

  • Werner, Viktoria

    (University of Tübingen)

  • Spieß, C. Katharina

    (Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (BiB))

Abstract

Not only the quantity of formal daycare provision for young children, but also its quality has become an issue of political concern. This experimental study investigates how a hypothetical improvement in the quality of daycare facilities shapes normative judgements regarding daycare use and working hours norms for parents with young children in Germany. The analysis is framed using capability-based explanations combined with theoretical concepts of ideals of care and normative policy feedback theories. We draw on a factorial survey experiment implemented in 2019/2020 in the German Family Panel (pairfam) measuring underlying work-care norms for a couple with a 15-month-old child under different contextual conditions. Ordered logistic and linear multilevel regressions were conducted with 5,324 respondents. On average, high hypothetical daycare quality for young children leads respondents to recommend greater daycare use and longer working hours for mothers and fathers by about 1 hour per week. Respondents who hold more egalitarian gender beliefs, those with tertiary education, native Germans and parents tend to respond more strongly to higher daycare quality by increasing their support for full-daycare use. The results consistently point to the relevance of high quality for increasing the acceptance and subsequently take-up of formal daycare.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp, Marie-Fleur & Büchau, Silke & Schober, Pia S. & Werner, Viktoria & Spieß, C. Katharina, 2024. "How Daycare Quality Shapes Norms around Daycare Use and Parental Employment: Experimental Evidence from Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 16729, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16729
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Müller, Kai-Uwe & Wrohlich, Katharina, 2020. "Does subsidized care for toddlers increase maternal labor supply? Evidence from a large-scale expansion of early childcare," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    2. van Huizen, Thomas & Plantenga, Janneke, 2018. "Do children benefit from universal early childhood education and care? A meta-analysis of evidence from natural experiments," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 206-222.
    3. Schober, Pia S. & Stahl, Juliane F., 2016. "Expansion of Full-Day Childcare and Subjective Well-Being of Mothers: Interdependencies with Culture and Resources," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 32(5), pages 593-606.
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    Cited by:

    1. Resendez, Sarahi & Li, Jianghong & Pollmann-Schult, Matthias, 2026. "Nonstandard work schedules and work-life balance in dual-earner households: The role of parenthood," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 38, pages 1-22.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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