The economic and psychological literatures have demonstrated that early investments (private and public) in children can significantly increase cognitive outcomes in the short and long term and contribute to success later in life. One of the most important of these inputs is maternal time....

Parental leave and child care are important instruments of family policies to improve work– family balance. This paper studies the impact of the substantial change in Germany’s parental leave system on maternal employment. The aim of the reform was to decrease birth-related maternal...

This paper shows how family policies aimed at reconciling the pressures of family and work generate substantial variation in labour market outcomes across developed countries. We use a life-cycle model of female labour supply and savings behaviour, calibrated to the US economy, to assess the...

Custody laws governing living arrangements for children following their parents' divorce have changed dramatically since the 1970s. Traditionally, one parent - usually the mother - was assigned sole custody of the child. Today, many divorced parents continue to share parental rights and...

Die vorliegende Studie stellt den aktuellen Stand der Forschung zu Wirkungen des Elterngeldes auf das Geburtenverhalten vor. Zunächst werden die ökonomischen Anreize des Elterngeldes und deren potenzielle Wirkungen auf die Fertilität aus theoretischer Sicht analysiert. Danach werden...

Mit dem Rechtsanspruch auf Kindertagesbetreuung ab dem zweiten Lebensjahr steht ab diesem August grundsätzlich allen Kindern dieser Altersgruppe ein Betreuungsplatz zur Verfügung. Welche Wirkungen hat die Kindertagesbetreuung auf die Erwerbstätigkeit von Müttern und die kindliche...

Female labor market participation rates have increased substantially in many countries over the last decades, especially those of mothers with young children. This trend has triggered an intense debate about its implications for children's well-being and long-term educational outcomes. The...

This paper constructs and estimates a dynamic discrete choice structural model of female employment and fertility decisions that incorporates job protection and cash benefits of parental leave legislation. The structural model is used for ex ante evaluation of policies that change the duration...

The negative correlation between women's education and fertility is strongly observed across regions and time; however, its interpretation is unclear. Women's education level could affect fertility through its impact on women's health and their physical capacity to give birth, children's health,...