The Effects of Universal Pre-K for Three-year-old Children on Mothers’ Employment and Families’ Economic Well-being

• In Event: The Economic Effects of Early Childhood Education on Parents and Children

Abstract

This study examines the effects of New York City’s 3-K for All (3K) program, a universal pre-kindergarten initiative for three-year-olds, on maternal employment, income-to-needs ratio, and material hardship among families. By leveraging the staggered rollout of 3K across school districts, I apply a difference-in-difference (DiD) framework using data from the Early Childhood Poverty Tracker (2017–2023), a longitudinal survey of New York City families with young children. The analysis estimates within-family changes in outcomes after children became eligible for the 3K program among those who lived in districts offering 3K, compared to those without access, employing an event-study design to assess dynamic effects over time. The findings show a significant increase in maternal employment among two-parent households by 6.6 percentage points once their children became eligible for 3K. Single mothers experienced a delayed but significant increase in employment by 13.3 percentage points one year later. Additionally, the likelihood of material hardship decreased significantly for families facing greater constraints to employment, such as those with younger children and low-income families, as well as U.S.-born parents, by 11-19 percentage points. 

Author

• Eunho Cha, University of California, Irvine
  Presenting Author