Center-Based Child Care and Differential Improvements in the Child Development Outcomes of Disadvantaged Children
 
Background Research finds center-based child care typically benefits children of low
socio-economic status (SES) but few studies have examined if it also reduces inequalities
in developmental disadvantage.

Objective I test if the length of time in center-based care between ages one and three years
associates with child development scores at age three years, focusing on the impact for
groups of children in the lower tercile of child development scores and in the lower SES
tercile.

Method Using data from 1,606 children collected in a nationally representative Chilean
survey, I apply a value-added approach to measure gains in child development scores
between age one and three years that are associated with length of time in center-based
child care.  READ THE FULL ARTICLE