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The Effect of Paid Parental Leave on Child Health in Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Broadway, Barbara

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research)

  • Kalb, Guyonne

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Kühnle, Daniel

    (University of Duisburg-Essen)

  • Mäder, Miriam

    (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)

Abstract

Providing mothers with access to paid parental leave may be an important public policy to improve child and maternal health. Using extensive information from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Children (LSAC), we contribute to the literature by estimating the effect of paid parental leave entitlements on child health up to age seven. Exploiting detailed information on children's health, family background, mothers' pre-birth work histories and mothers' health behaviours during pregnancy within a propensity score matching framework, we show that paid parental leave entitlements reduce the probability of a child having multiple ongoing health conditions, but do not significantly affect any single condition. We find that the effect on multiple conditions is strongest for children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Our study implies that the provision of paid parental leave, even for short periods (as usually available in Australia), will benefit children's health.

Suggested Citation

  • Broadway, Barbara & Kalb, Guyonne & Kühnle, Daniel & Mäder, Miriam, 2015. "The Effect of Paid Parental Leave on Child Health in Australia," IZA Discussion Papers 8978, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8978
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bassford, Micaela & Fisher, Hayley, 2016. "Bonus babies? The impact of paid parental leave on fertility intentions," Working Papers 2016-04, University of Sydney, School of Economics.
    2. Zhang, Chi & Managi, Shunsuke, 2020. "Functional social support and maternal stress: A study on the 2017 paid parental leave reform in Japan," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 153-172.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Australia; parental leave; child health; LSAC;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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