early maternal employment and children’s cognitive and social development:

following lives from birth and through the adult years www.cls.ioe.ac.ukfollowing lives from birth and through the adult years www.cls.ioe.ac.uk

Evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study

Denise D. Hawkes

15th July 2008

Early Maternal Employment and Children’s Cognitive and Social

Development:


Outline of Presentation

Research questions Data Model of early maternal employment Results of determinants of early maternal employment Model of child outcomes Results of child outcomes More on selection Conclusion


Main Research Question Interested in the impact of early maternal employment on child

cognitive development

HOWEVER: Which mothers are employed? What are the characteristics of those who return to employment? Are these different from those who do not return to employment? Do these differences explain the difference in child outcomes

observed?

Therefore this paper will consider firstly the determinants of maternal employment and then taking these determinants into account the impact of early maternal employment on child cognitive and behavioural development


The impact of government policy

One of the possible determinants of early maternal employment especially in the early months of life is government policies such as: Maternity Leave/Paternity Leave Child care provision Flexible working agreements/Parent friendly practices


UK Policy Context Statuary Maternity Leave

First 4 months statutory maternity pay and an additional 3 months unpaid job protected leave for mothers who have completed one year full service.

Statuary Paternity Leave 2 weeks paid leave

Sure Start government programme aimed at bring together, early

education, childcare, health and family support through their children’s centres which are mainly located in disadvantaged areas in England


What do this policy context suggest?

In UK those in employment before the birth of their child are likely to return to employment 4-7 months after the birth of their child There maybe interesting differences with the UK as only

England has Sure Start Also the determinates of being in employment prior to

birth are also likely to be important


Millennium Cohort Study The MCS is a nationally-representative sample of

18,818 babies within 18,552 families The cohort members were born in the UK between

September 2000 and January 2002 and were living in selected UK wards at age 9 months

The sample was drawn to over-represent those who live in areas of high child poverty, areas of high concentrations of ethnic minorities and the Celtic countries of the UK

The first sweep was undertaken when the cohort members were 9 months old, the second when they were 3 years old


MCS Descriptive Statistics – Month of employment

For Natural Mothers MCS

0-3 months 6%

4-5 months 24%

6-9 months 19%

Not by 9 months 51%

Observations 18389


MCS Descriptive Statistics – Month of employment by education levelFor Natural Mothers

No qualifications

Up to A-Levels Degree plus

0-3 months 6% 15% 12%

4-5 months 8% 23% 33%

6-9 months 7% 11% 19%

Not by 9 months

79% 51% 36%

Observations 1737 7651 4591


Determinants of early maternal employment model

whereemp is a dummy for whether the mother has returned to work by the time the cohort child is 9 monthschild is a selection of child characteristics‘ for example being the first born childmother is a selection of mother characteristics’ for example their level of educationfamilyregion is a selection of family characteristics’ for example if they live in owner occupied accommodation and a set of regional dummies

1 2 3emp = α + β child + β mother + β familyregion+ ε


Child Characteristics’

MCS

Child Characteristics’

First Birth 1.157

(1.044 - 1.256)**

Multiple Birth 0.558

(0.378 - 0.824)**

Low Birth Weight 0.809

(0.661 - 0.990)*


Mother Characteristics’

Most likely to enter employment by 9 months if: MCS

between 20-34 years old at the time of birth hold qualifications black ethnic group, not Pakistani or Bangladeshi AND if employed one year prior to birth of the cohort child


Family Characteristics’ MCS

Partnership status: reference married

Single 0.514

(0.438 - 0.603)**

Cohabiting 1.028

(0.921 - 1.147)

Number of other children in the household 0.924

(0.863 - 0.989)*

Other adults excluding parents in household 1.405

(1.196 - 1.651)**

Owner occupied housing 1.630

(1.445 - 1.839)**


Region

MCS London mothers are the least likely to enter

employment by nine months Mothers in the West Midlands and Yorkshire &

Humberside are the most likely to enter employment by nine months


Early employment and developmental measures at 9 months for MCS

Those who have return to part time or full time employment relative to those who have not worked in the first 9 months of their child’s life report significantly: more likely their children sleep through the night more likely their children can sit up more likely to be able to pass things from hand to hand less likely to nod


Child outcomes & maternal employment

wherechildout is the standardised BAS, Bracken or SDQ score at 3 years oldemp is a two dummies for whether the mother has returned to work full time/part time by the time the cohort child is 9 monthschild is a selection of child characteristics‘ for example being the first born childmother is a selection of mother characteristics’ for example their level of educationfamilyregion is a selection of family characteristics’ for example if they live in owner occupied accommodation and a set of regional dummies

21 3 4childout = α + β emp+ child + β mother + β familyregion+ ε


BASJust considering

employmentControlling for all

selection variables

Reference: no employment by 9 months

0-3 months 0.16

(0.03)***

-0.03

(0.03)

4-6 months 0.27

(0.03)***

-0.02

(0.03)

7-9 months 0.30

(0.03)***

-0.01

(0.03)

Observations 11505 11505


BAS continued

Just working variables working returning to employment in the first nine months of life is significantly positive

Moderated by the inclusion of child characteristics, although they remain significantly positive largest and most significant covariates are first born,

breastfeed and birth weight Including mother’s characteristics, become insignificant

biggest and most important effect from maternal education, more education higher scores for children

Including family and area characteristics, all remain insignificant


BAS continued part 2

Heckman selection model Subgroups:

no education, just working variables significantly positive for returning after 4 months, with all variables all insignificant

basic education, just working variables all significantly positive, with all variables all insignificant

higher education, just working variables only significantly positive between 7 and 9 months, with all variables all insignificant


Bracken

Just considering employment

Controlling for all selection variables


0-3 months 0.13

(0.02)***

-0.05

(0.03)

4-6 months 0.26

(0.03)***

-0.06

(0.03)**

7-9 months 0.34

(0.04)***

-0.03

(0.03)



SDQ

Just considering employment

Controlling for all selection variables


0-3 months -0.12

(0.03)***

0.04

(0.03)

4-6 months -0.23

(0.02)***

0.04

(0.02)

7-9 months -0.25

(0.03)***

0.06

(0.03)



Subgroup selection paths Employment positively linked:

no educational qualifications to not first born, not being Bangladeshi, being a home owner,

having a partner and prior employment GCSE and A-Levels

not being a multiple birth, not being Bangladeshi, being black, being a home owner, having an employed partner, not being a student and prior employment

University not being a multiple birth, being a home owner, having a

partner, not having an employed partner and prior employment


Conclusion

Selection into the labour market after birth

Impact of selection when explaining the relationship between child outcomes and early maternal employment

Other things to consider

Link to other two papers

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