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Motherly Care: The impacts of exiting a childcare program on child and maternal health

Author

Listed:
  • Chris M. Boyd

    (Department of Economics, Towson University)

  • Norma Correa

    (Department of Social Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru)

  • Angelo Cozzubo

    (Department of Economics, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru)

  • Jose Maria Renteria

    (Department of Economics, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru)

Abstract

We investigate the unintended impacts of exiting Peru’s Cuna Más public childcare program on child and maternal health. With increased public child- care use in developing countries, understanding the effects of program exit is critical. We use Cuna Más’ strict age-based graduation rule to identify causal impacts, leveraging comprehensive data from the Demographic and Family Health Survey for the period 2015-2019. Our results suggest that mothers prioritize their children’s health over their own upon program exit. While maternal mental health shows a notable decline, children's health remains unaffected. These results have important policy implications, highlighting the need for post-program transitional support to mitigate hidden costs for mothers and enhance the positive outcomes children gain during program participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris M. Boyd & Norma Correa & Angelo Cozzubo & Jose Maria Renteria, 2026. "Motherly Care: The impacts of exiting a childcare program on child and maternal health," Working Papers 2026-06, Towson University, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2026.
    • Handle: RePEc:tow:wpaper:2026-06
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    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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