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Can child care assistance in welfare and employment programs support the employment of low-income families?

Author

Listed:
  • Lisa A. Gennetian

    (MDRC, New York)

  • Danielle A. Crosby

    (University of Chicago)

  • Aletha C. Huston

    (University of Texas, Austin)

  • Edward D. Lowe

    (University of California-Los Angeles)

Abstract

Policymakers have long recognized child care as a key ingredient in low-income parents' employability. We examine the effects of expansions in child care policies that were bundled with a mix of employment-related policies and implemented as part of several random assignment studies on families' child care access and cost. Almost all of these welfare and employment programs increased employment and led to concomitant increases in the use of child care, especially paid child care. Only the programs that also expanded access or affordability of child care consistently increased the use of child care subsidies and reduced out-of-pocket costs to parents, allowing parents to purchase center-based care. With one exception, such programs had small effects on employment-related child care problems, suggesting that broader and more generous targeting of child care assistance may be important for achieving the goal of enhancing the stability of employment among low-income families. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa A. Gennetian & Danielle A. Crosby & Aletha C. Huston & Edward D. Lowe, 2004. "Can child care assistance in welfare and employment programs support the employment of low-income families?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(4), pages 723-743.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:23:y:2004:i:4:p:723-743
    DOI: 10.1002/pam.20044
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David M. Blau & Alison P. Hagy, 1998. "The Demand for Quality in Child Care," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(1), pages 104-146, February.
    2. V. Joseph Hotz & M. Rebecca Kilburn, "undated". "Regulating Child Care: The Effects of State Regulations on Child Care Demand and Its Cost," University of Chicago - Population Research Center 94-10, Chicago - Population Research Center.
    3. Ribar, David C, 1995. "A Structural Model of Child Care and the Labor Supply of Married Women," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(3), pages 558-597, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chang, Young Eun & Huston, Aletha C. & Crosby, Danielle A. & Gennetian, Lisa A., 2007. "The effects of welfare and employment programs on children's participation in Head Start," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 17-32, February.
    2. Zheng, Hui & Dirlam, Jonathan & Choi, Yoonyoung & George, Linda, 2023. "Understanding the health decline of Americans in boomers to millennials," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 337(C).
    3. Johnson, Anna D. & Martin, Anne & Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne, 2011. "Who uses child care subsidies? Comparing recipients to eligible non-recipients on family background characteristics and child care preferences," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 1072-1083, July.
    4. Elizabeth Rigby & Rebecca M. Ryan & Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, 2007. "Child care quality in different state policy contexts," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 887-908.
    5. Hui Zheng & Jonathan Dirlam & Paola Echave, 2021. "Divergent Trends in the Effects of Early Life Factors on Adult Health," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(5), pages 1119-1148, October.
    6. Giapponi Schneider, Kate & Erickson Warfield, Marji & Joshi, Pamela & Ha, Yoonsook & Hodgkin, Dominic, 2017. "Insights into the black box of child care supply: Predictors of provider participation in the Massachusetts child care subsidy system," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 148-159.
    7. Maguire-Jack, Kathryn & Hardi, Felicia & Stormer, Bri & Lee, Joyce Y. & Feely, Megan & Rostad, Whitney & Ford, Derek C. & Merrick, Melissa T. & Murphy, Catherine A. & Bart. Klika, J., 2022. "Early childhood education and care policies in the U.S. And their impact on family violence," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    8. Taryn W. Morrissey, 2017. "Child care and parent labor force participation: a review of the research literature," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 1-24, March.

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