Working Paper: NBER ID: w17105
Authors: Michael Baker; Kevin S. Milligan
Abstract: We investigate the impact of maternity leave on the cognitive and behavioral development of children at ages 4 and 5, following up previous research on these children at younger ages. The impact is identified by legislated increases in the duration of maternity leave in Canada, which significantly increased the amount of first-year maternal care. Our results indicate no positive effect on indices of children's cognitive and behavioral development. We uncover a small negative impact on cognitive scores, which may indicate the timing of the mother/child separation due to the mother's return to work plays a role.
Keywords: maternity leave; child development; cognitive outcomes; behavioral outcomes
JEL Codes: I18; J13; J32
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| maternity leave duration (J22) | maternal time at home (J22) |
| maternal time at home (J22) | child development outcomes (J13) |
| maternity leave duration (J22) | child development outcomes (J13) |
| maternal care (J13) | cognitive scores (D91) |
| maternal care (J13) | 'Who Am I' measure (Y20) |
| maternal care (J13) | 'Know Your Numbers' measure (Y10) |
| timing of maternal employment (J22) | child development outcomes (J13) |