The Effect of Paid Parental Leave on Breastfeeding, Parental Health and Behavior
48 Pages Posted: 28 Aug 2019
Date Written: August 25, 2019
Abstract
Little is known about the effects of paid parental leave (in particular fathers' quotas) on parental health and involvement. In this paper, we exploit a reform that took place in the Canadian province of Quebec to address that important topic. In 2006, Quebec opted out of the federal plan and established its own parental insurance plan, named the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP). This program has lowered the eligibility criteria, increased income replacement and introduced fathers' quotas. Using three data sets, we investigate the impact of the QPIP on breastfeeding and parental health and behavior. Our results show that the reform increased breastfeeding duration and parental involvement. Results also suggest that the policy had limited positive effects on parental health.
Keywords: parental leave, family health, breastfeeding, parental behavior
JEL Classification: I12, I18, J18, I30
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation