# Universal Full-Day Kindergarten and Maternal Labor Supply: A Life-Cycle Analysis

## TL;DR

Universal full-day kindergarten increases mothers' labor force participation, especially for those with younger children, according to a life-cycle analysis.

## Contribution

The study reveals that the labor supply impact extends beyond kindergarten-aged children to younger ones, supporting a life-cycle model of labor supply.

## Key findings

- Mothers with kindergarten-aged children increased labor force participation by 4.3 to 7.1 percentage points.
- Mothers with infants saw a 7.2 to 9.8 percentage point increase in labor force participation.
- The findings support a life-cycle model where future wages and prices influence labor supply decisions.

## Abstract

We estimate the effect of state-level policies enacting universal free full-day kindergarten on mothers’ labor supply using a life-cycle analysis. Similar to previous research on childcare and labor supply, we find that free full-day kindergarten increases labor force participation rates for mothers whose youngest child is kindergarten-aged by 4.3 to 7.1 percentage points. We find that for mothers whose youngest child is an infant, labor force participation increases by 7.2 to 9.8 percentage points, and for women whose youngest child is 3 to 4 years old labor force participation increases by 5.9 to 7.9 percentage points. The fact that the policies impact the labor supply for mothers of younger-than-kindergarten-age children by even more than for mothers of kindergarten-aged children is important for understanding the full effect of subsidized childcare. This is consistent with a life-cycle model of labor supply where wages and prices in future periods impact mothers’ labor force attachment.