More Hours, More Work: Head Start Expansions Boost Maternal Employment. Upjohn Institute Working Paper 26-427
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| Title: | More Hours, More Work: Head Start Expansions Boost Maternal Employment. Upjohn Institute Working Paper 26-427 |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Chloe Gibbs (ORCID |
| Source: | W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. 2026. |
| Availability: | W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. 300 South Westnedge Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49007-4686. Tel: 888-227-8569; Tel: 269-343-4330; Fax: 269-343-7310; Web site: http://research.upjohn.org/upjohn_publications/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 38 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Russell Sage Foundation National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: | SES1824511 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education |
| Descriptors: | Social Services, Low Income Students, Federal Programs, Young Children, Mothers, Employed Parents, Employed Women, Child Care, Time Management, Federal Aid, Extended School Day, Early Childhood Education, Working Hours, Wages |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: | Head Start |
| DOI: | 10.17848/wp26-427 |
| Abstract: | Women's employment remains highly sensitive to childcare constraints, making childcare availability a critical lever for supporting mothers' labor force attachment. We study the effects of expanded full-day programming in Head Start, using the 2016 federal funding initiative that targeted grantees with low full-day enrollment. Linking administrative program data, geo-coded center locations, and household data on employment, we estimate a difference-in-differences design by comparing mothers of young children in treated and untreated areas. The policy increased full-day enrollment by 19 percent and raised single mothers' employment (1.9%), hours (2.5%), and earnings (6.5%). Results show that extending program duration meaningfully improves maternal labor market outcomes. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED679147 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Women's employment remains highly sensitive to childcare constraints, making childcare availability a critical lever for supporting mothers' labor force attachment. We study the effects of expanded full-day programming in Head Start, using the 2016 federal funding initiative that targeted grantees with low full-day enrollment. Linking administrative program data, geo-coded center locations, and household data on employment, we estimate a difference-in-differences design by comparing mothers of young children in treated and untreated areas. The policy increased full-day enrollment by 19 percent and raised single mothers' employment (1.9%), hours (2.5%), and earnings (6.5%). Results show that extending program duration meaningfully improves maternal labor market outcomes. |
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| DOI: | 10.17848/wp26-427 |
