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The Long-term Effects of Charity Nurseries: Evidence from Early 20th Century New York

Author

Listed:
  • Philipp Ager

    (University of Mannheim, CEPR)

  • Viktor Malein

    (Lund University)

Abstract

The paper evaluates the long-run impact of charity nurseries for disadvantaged children in early 20th-century New York. Access to charity nurseries with kindergarten instruction raised children’s years of education and reduced their likelihood of working in low-skilled jobs later in life. Instead, exposed children were more likely to work in jobs requiring higher cognitive and language skills. The effects were strongest for children from the most disadvantaged immigrant groups at that time. Our findings suggest that kindergarten instruction in charity nurseries helped immigrant children better understand teachers’ instructions and learning materials which improved their economic outcomes in adulthood.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp Ager & Viktor Malein, 2024. "The Long-term Effects of Charity Nurseries: Evidence from Early 20th Century New York," Working Papers 0263, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    • Handle: RePEc:hes:wpaper:0263
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    File URL: https://www.ehes.org/wp/EHES_263.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Age of Mass Migration; Charity Nurseries; Child Care; Disadvantaged Children; Kindergarten Instruction; New York City;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • N31 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913

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