With a Little Help from Nurseries - Childcare Services and Mothers' Employment in Italy

47 Pages Posted: 19 Dec 2024

See all articles by Chiara Puccioni

Chiara Puccioni

Confindustria

Daniela Vuri

University of Rome Tor Vergata; IZA Institute of Labor Economics; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research)

Date Written: November 29, 2024

Abstract

This study evaluates the impact of an Italian government initiative launched in 2007, which allocated e1 billion to regional governments to enhance early childhood care services for children aged 0-2, targeting both public and private childcare options. Exploiting variations in the timing of implementation across regions, we assess the program's effectiveness in increasing the public provision of early childcare services and maternal labor market participation. Results show a significant increase in both public childcare slots and labor market participation among mothers. However, the initiative had limited effects on less-educated women, likely due to the service's relatively high costs, which may hinder broader accessibility.

Keywords: early childcare services, mothers' labor supply, staggered difference-in-difference, dynamic estimates JEL: C21, C22, H52, H75, J13, J22

JEL Classification: C21, C22, H52, H75, J13, J22

Suggested Citation

Puccioni, Chiara and Vuri, Daniela, With a Little Help from Nurseries - Childcare Services and Mothers' Employment in Italy (November 29, 2024). CEIS Working Paper No. 588, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5064548 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5064548

Daniela Vuri

University of Rome Tor Vergata ( email )

Via di Tor Vergata
Rome, Lazio 00133
Italy

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

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