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Negative Externalities in Day Care: Optimal Tax Policy Response

Author

Listed:
  • Lundholm , Michael

    (Departement of Economics)

  • Ohlsson , Henry

    (Department of Economics, School of Economics and Commercial Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract

Systematic pediatric evidence shows that the morbidity rates for children in day care are increasing in the group size.Sick children are usually cared for at home by parents. This creates a negative externality of parents' labor force participation. The social optimum implies lower group size than the non--intervention market equilibrium. We study the optimal tax policy. The cost of labor force participation should be increased. This can be done by either or both a tax on day care services and a home care allowance. The cost of providing day care should be decreased by a subsidy to entrepreneurs running day care centers. This policy will decrease the group size. It is, however, not necessarily the case that this will decrease labor force participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Lundholm , Michael & Ohlsson , Henry, 2002. "Negative Externalities in Day Care: Optimal Tax Policy Response," Working Papers in Economics 68, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0068
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/2835
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Henry Ohlsson & Michael Lundholm, 1998. "Wages, taxes and publicly provided day care," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 11(2), pages 185-204.
    2. Bergstrom, Ted & Blomquist, Soren, 1996. "The political economy of subsidized day care," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 443-457, November.
    3. Pitt, Mark M & Rosenzweig, Mark R, 1990. "Estimating the Intrahousehold Incidence of Illness: Child Health and Gender-Inequality in the Allocation of Time," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 31(4), pages 969-980, November.
    4. repec:bla:scandj:v:97:y:1995:i:4:p:547-67 is not listed on IDEAS
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    negative externalities; infections; day care centers; optimal taxation; Pigouvian taxes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure

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