Working Paper: NBER ID: w21571
Authors: Michael Baker; Jonathan Gruber; Kevin Milligan
Abstract: Past research has demonstrated that positive increments to the non-cognitive development of children can have long-run benefits. We test the symmetry of this contention by studying the effects of a sizeable negative shock to non-cognitive skills due to the introduction of universal child care in Quebec. We first confirm earlier findings showing reduced contemporaneous non-cognitive development following the program introduction in Quebec, with little impact on cognitive test scores. We then show these non-cognitive deficits persisted to school ages, and also that cohorts with increased child care access subsequently had worse health, lower life satisfaction, and higher crime rates later in life. The impacts on criminal activity are concentrated in boys. Our results reinforce previous evidence on the central role of non-cognitive skills for long-run success.
Keywords: noncognitive skills; child care; Quebec; long-run outcomes
JEL Codes: I1; J13; K42
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Quebec universal child care program (J13) | noncognitive development (I25) |
| noncognitive development (I25) | anxiety and aggression (E71) |
| noncognitive development (I25) | health (I19) |
| noncognitive development (I25) | life satisfaction (I31) |
| noncognitive development (I25) | crime rates (K42) |
| Quebec universal child care program (J13) | anxiety and aggression (E71) |
| Quebec universal child care program (J13) | health (I19) |
| Quebec universal child care program (J13) | life satisfaction (I31) |
| Quebec universal child care program (J13) | crime rates (K42) |