After-School Care, Child Care Arrangements, and Child Development

In 1998, the Canadian province of Quebec introduced a $5 per day before- and after-school care program targeting primary school children. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, we employ a difference-in-differences analysis to study the effects of after-school care on child care arrangements and child development. Our results show an increase in the use of after-school care by 6–10 percentage points, mainly replacing self-care and care provided by a sibling. We also find an increase in indirect aggression, a deterioration in reading and writing skills, and a decrease in the incidence of the child getting injured.