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How distance to a non-resident parent relates to child outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Astrid Würtz Rasmussen

    (Aarhus University)

  • Leslie S. Stratton

    (IZA, Virginia Commonwealth University)

Abstract

Family courts now encourage both parents to maintain contact with their children following separation/divorce, believing this is in the child’s best interest. We use geographical distance between non-resident parents and their children to test how such distance is related to educational and behavioral outcomes within a population sample of children from nonnuclear families in Denmark. As this distance is a choice, non-resident parents may choose where to live in part based on expected child outcomes; results that fail to take endogeneity into account will be biased. We use instrumental variable techniques to control for this potential endogeneity. The results indicate educational outcomes are somewhat better for all and behavioral outcomes are at least no worse for girls who live at a greater distance from their non-resident parent. Failing to control for endogeneity seems to bias the results for behavioral outcomes in favor of more proximate parents. Thus, policy efforts to keep separated parents geographically closer for the sake of their children may in fact not be advantageous.

Suggested Citation

  • Astrid Würtz Rasmussen & Leslie S. Stratton, 2016. "How distance to a non-resident parent relates to child outcomes," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 829-857, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:14:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s11150-016-9338-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-016-9338-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Marisa Bucheli & Andrea Vigorito, 2021. "Short- and Medium-term Effects of Parental Separation on Children’s Well-being. Evidence from Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 21-09, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    2. Marisa Bucheli & Andrea Vigorito, 2021. "Short-and Medium-term Effects of Parental Separation on Children’s Well-Being. Evidence from Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0721, Department of Economics - dECON.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Child outcomes; Parental separation; Child custody; Non-resident parent;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation

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