The impact of daycare on maternal labour supply and child development in Mexico

This study by Gustavo Angeles, Paola Gadsden, Sebastian Galiani, Paul Gertler, Andrea Herrera, Patricia Kariger and Enrique Seira evaluates the impact of a daycare programme, Programa de estancias infantiles para apoyar a madres trabajadoras (PEI), to support working mothers in Mexico. It assesses the programme’s impact on mothers’ labour market participation and use of time, and the well-being of their children.

This evaluation shows that mothers who benefitted from PEI increased their employment and working hours. However the programme had no significant impacts on income. Similarly, this study identifies no significant effects for the full sample on child development and dietary diversity, which are key measures of child well-being.