1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«In this paper, we estimated the long-term effects of the Quebec child care reform, both in terms of the age of the child and the time since the program was first implemented. More specifically, we study the long-term effects of the low-fee child care reform on child health, motor and social development, and behavior.» (p. 69)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«To estimate the long-term impacts of the reform on children, we use two data sets: (1) the NLSCY [National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth] and (2) the CCHS [Canadian Community Health Survey].» (p. 43)

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Our estimates suggest that overall the reform had negative effects on preschool children’s health, motor-social development, and behavior. However, for some outcomes, our estimates by wave suggest that the effects decrease over time and eventually become statistically insignificant by 2008. The negative effects of the reform on the well-being of preschoolers are driven mainly by children of highly educated mothers who were the first to react to the policy by increasing their labor supply. Also, for older children aged 5–9 years old, we find strong evidence of a persistent adverse effect only for emotional disorder and anxiety. Finally, for youths aged 12– 14 and 15–19, we cannot find robust evidence that the Quebec child care policy produced lasting negative effects on health and behavior.» (p. 41) Overall, it appears that «the reform did not benefit children. The network must improve to generate the benefits that early child care has delivered in other countries.» (p. 69)