Author: Nina Drange

Author title: Post Doc

Description: Studies of children aged three years plus often, but not always, find that childcare has favourable effects on child development. One plausible explanation for this is that high quality childcare provides a stimulating environment in which children interact with other children and are cared for by trained pedagogical staff who facilitate age-appropriate activities. Children from less advantaged families may benefit more from childcare. This article describes a ‘natural experiment’ when a shortage of childcare spaces in Oslo led to children under the age of three being randomly allocated to a childcare space or not. Previous studies have examined the impact of early childcare on children over the age of three and findings may not be transferable to younger children. The findings from this study are therefore important for both practitioners and parents who are seeking to make the best decision regarding when to place their toddlers in childcare.

Description writer: Post Doc at the Frisch Centre, Oslo, and Research Fellow at Statistics Norway

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