The Costs and Benefits of Investing in Universal Preschool: Evidence From a Spanish Reform.

• Autores: Thomas Huizen, Lisa Dumhs, Janneke Plantenga, Thomas van Huizen
• Localización: Child development, ISSN 0009-3920, Vol. 90, Nº. 3, 2019, págs. 386-406
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This study provides a cost-benefit analysis of expanding access to universal preschool education, focusing on a Spanish reform that lowered the age of eligibility for publicly provided universal preschool from age 4 to age 3. Benefits in terms of child development and maternal employment are estimated using evidence on the causal effects of this reform. In the baseline estimation the benefit-cost ratio is over 4, indicating sizeable net societal benefits of the preschool investment. The results show that the child development effects are the major determinant of the cost-benefit ratio; the employment gains for parents appear to play a relatively minor role. Overall, the cost-benefit analysis provides support for investing in high-quality preschool education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]