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Children's Schooling and Parents' Investment in Children: Evidence from the Head Start Impact Study

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  • Alexander M. Gelber
  • Adam Isen

Abstract

Parents may have important effects on their children, but little work in economics explores whether children's schooling opportunities crowd out or encourage parents' investment in children. We analyze data from the Head Start Impact Study, which granted randomly-chosen preschool-aged children the opportunity to attend Head Start. We find that Head Start causes a substantial increase in parents' involvement with their children--such as time spent reading to children, math activities, or days spent with children by fathers who do not live with their children--both during and after the period when their children are potentially enrolled in Head Start. We discuss a variety of mechanisms that are consistent with our findings, including a simple model we present in which Head Start impacts parent involvement in part because parents perceive their involvement to be complementary with child schooling in the production of child qualities.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander M. Gelber & Adam Isen, 2011. "Children's Schooling and Parents' Investment in Children: Evidence from the Head Start Impact Study," NBER Working Papers 17704, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:17704
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. List, John A. & Samek, Anya & Suskind, Dana L., 2018. "Combining behavioral economics and field experiments to reimagine early childhood education," Behavioural Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(1), pages 1-21, May.
    2. Douglas Almond & Bhashkar Mazumder, 2013. "Fetal Origins and Parental Responses," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 5(1), pages 37-56, May.
    3. Lee, Sei-Young & Benson, Stephanie M. & Klein, Sacha M. & Franke, Todd M., 2015. "Accessing quality early care and education for children in child welfare: Stakeholders' perspectives on barriers and opportunities for interagency collaboration," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 170-181.
    4. Michael J. Kottelenberg & Steven F. Lehrer, 2014. "Do the Perils of Universal Childcare Depend on the Child’s Age?," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 60(2), pages 338-365.
    5. Blomeyer Dorothea & Laucht Manfred & Coneus Katja & Pfeiffer Friedhelm, 2013. "Early Life Adversity and Children’s Competence Development: Evidence from the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 233(4), pages 467-485, August.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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