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Breaking the Cycle? Intergenerational Effects of an Antipoverty Program in Early Childhood

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  • Andrew Barr
  • Chloe R. Gibbs

Abstract

Despite substantial evidence that resources and outcomes are transmitted across generations, there has been limited inquiry into the extent to which antipoverty programs actually disrupt the cycle of bad outcomes. We leverage the rollout of the United States’s largest early-childhood program, Head Start, to estimate the effect of early-childhood exposure among mothers on their children’s long-term outcomes. We find evidence of intergenerational transmission of effects in the form of increased educational attainment, reduced teen pregnancy, and reduced criminal engagement in the second generation. These effects correspond to an estimated increase in discounted second-generation wages of 6%–11%, depending on specification. Exploration of earlier outcomes suggests an important role for changes in parenting behavior and potential noncognitive channels.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Barr & Chloe R. Gibbs, 2022. "Breaking the Cycle? Intergenerational Effects of an Antipoverty Program in Early Childhood," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(12), pages 3253-3285.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jpolec:doi:10.1086/720764
    DOI: 10.1086/720764
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    Cited by:

    1. Jorge Luis García & James J. Heckman, 2023. "Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 15(1), pages 349-388, September.
    2. Brown, Jessica H. & Herbst, Chris M., 2023. "Minimum Wage, Worker Quality, and Consumer Well-Being: Evidence from the Child Care Market," IZA Discussion Papers 16257, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Chen, Shuangye & Liu, Yanlin & Yang, Jin & Yang, Yuchen & Ye, Xiaoyang, 2023. "Impacts of village preschools on student enrollment and longer-term outcomes: New evidence from the poorest regions in China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    4. Randall Akee & Leah R. Clark, 2023. "Universal Preschool Lottery Admissions and Its Effects on Long-Run Earnings and Outcomes," Working Papers 23-09, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    5. Baker, Jennifer L. & Bjerregaard, Lise G. & Dahl, Christian M. & Johansen, Torben S. D. & Sørensen, Emil N. & Wüst, Miriam, 2023. "Universal Investments in Toddler Health. Learning from a Large Government Trial," IZA Discussion Papers 16270, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Qi, Ping & Deng, Lanfang & Li, Hongyi, 2024. "Does the county-based poverty reduction policy matter for children's human capital development?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    7. Madeline Duhon & Lia Fernald & Joan Hamory & Edward Miguel & Eric Ochieng & Michael W. Walker, 2024. "Intergenerational Human Capital Impacts and Complementarities in Kenya," NBER Working Papers 32617, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Frederik H. Bennhoff & Jorge Luis García & Duncan Ermini Leaf, 2024. "The Dynastic Benefits of Early-Childhood Education: Participant Benefits and Family Spillovers," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 44-73.
    9. Nicardo S. McInnis & Katherine Michelmore & Natasha Pilkauskas, 2023. "The Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty and Public Assistance: Evidence from the Earned Income Tax Credit," NBER Working Papers 31429, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Stephanie von Hinke & Nicolai Vitt, 2024. "An analysis of the accuracy of retrospective birth location recall using sibling data," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    11. Zhewen Pan & Zhengxin Wang & Junsen Zhang & Yahong Zhou, 2024. "Marginal treatment effects in the absence of instrumental variables," Papers 2401.17595, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2024.
    12. Claire Crawford & Laura Outhwaite, 2023. "Why should we invest in Early Childhood Education and Care?," CEPEO Briefing Note Series 24, UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, revised Mar 2023.
    13. Zhang, Zihan & Kim, Jun Hyung, 2023. "The Inheritance of Historical Trauma: Intergenerational Effects of Early-Life Exposure to Famine on Mental Health," IZA Discussion Papers 16385, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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