Volume 27, Number 1 (Winter) 1992
Leibowitz, Arleen, Jacob Alex Klerman, and Linda J. Waite. 1992. "Employment of New Mothers and Child Care Choice: Differences by Children's Age." Journal of Human Resources 27(1):112-133.
This paper examines a woman's decisions about when to return to market work in the two years following childbirth and the type of child care she chooses. Own wages relate positively to an early return to work, while higher family income delays return to work. Wages and income did not significantly affect choice of market versus nonmarket child care. Greater child care tax credits increased early return to work (within three months) but had little effect on labor supply. Contrary to expectations, tax credits did not affect child care choice, but predicted early market reentry.
The authors are researchers at the RAND Corporation. This research was funded by grants HD-20253 and P-50-HD-12639 from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development and by Grant J-9-J-7-0091 from the Department of Labor. The authors would like to thank Carl Serrato for providing data on AFDC entitlements. They would also like to thank Sally Carson and Carol Edwards for programming assistance. The data used in this article can be obtained beginning June 1992 through June 1995 from the authors at the following address: RAND, 1700 Main St., P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138.
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US ISSN 0022-166X