Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/270446 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 2022-3
Publisher: 
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Abstract: 
In this paper, we evaluate the effects of free pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs on the labor force participation (LFP) of mothers. We use variation in pre-K rules across all US states, including income eligibility requirements in some states. To estimate the causal effects of access to pre-K on labor supply, we exploit the panel aspect of the monthly Current Population Survey between 2002 and 2019. Specifically, we look at the change in labor market behavior of women when their child becomes age-eligible for pre-K, controlling for individual factors. We find that access to free pre-K programs increases overall maternal LFP by 2.3 percentage points. In particular, we find that mothers with the following demographic characteristics significantly increase their labor supply as a result of an access to free pre-K: married, college educated, residents of metropolitan areas, and with income either below 200 percent or above 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Our results are robust across a series of placebo tests and alternative specifications and sample restrictions.
Subjects: 
maternal labor force participation
childcare policies
universal pre-K
gender equality policies
early education policies
JEL: 
G50
H21
H23
I31
J01
J08
J15
J16
J18
J21
J22
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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