Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP16501
Authors: Henning Hermes; 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 (N = 607), 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.
Keywords: Child Care; Early Childhood; Behavioral Barriers; Information; Educational Inequality; Randomized Controlled Trial
JEL Codes: I21; J13; J18; J24; C93
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Treatment (information and assistance) (I19) | Child Care Application Rates (J13) |
| Treatment (information and assistance) (I19) | Child Care Enrollment Rates (J13) |
| Treatment (information and assistance) (I19) | Onsite Visits to Child Care Centers (I21) |
| Onsite Visits to Child Care Centers (I21) | Child Care Enrollment Rates (J13) |
| Treatment (information and assistance) (I19) | Closes SES Gap in Child Care Enrollment (I24) |