Differential effect of duration of early childcare under the age of three on socio-emotional outcomes

Differences in Children’s Social Development: How Migration Background Impacts the Effect of Early Institutional Childcare Upon Children’s Prosocial Behavior and Peer Problems

“…As such, our study does not confirm these negative effects; on the contrary, we find indications of positive effects for an early start to childcare. Our findings are in line with the results of other German studies like the NUBBEK study ( Tietze et al, 2013 ) or the NEPS study conducted by Linberg et al (2019) . The fact that no negative effects of childcare duration were found in all three studies reinforces the importance of carrying out analyses within the framework of each system and of exercising caution regarding the transferability of international results.…”

“…With respect to Germany, the NUBBEK study, a representative cross-sectional large scale study, documents that children exhibited fewer peer problems at the age of two and four if they spent more time in early external childcare before the age of three ( Tietze et al, 2013 ). Another German study drawing on NEPS data reveals that children who attend institutional childcare for a longer period before the age of three demonstrated less problem behavior with peers than children without external childcare experience ( Linberg et al, 2019 ). Contrary to the NICHD study, Linberg et al (2019) do not find any negative effects of early external childcare on later prosocial behavior, but actually a slight positive drift while using a set of control variables to control for potential selection effects into early institutional childcare like SES, income, or migration background.…”

“…Another German study drawing on NEPS data reveals that children who attend institutional childcare for a longer period before the age of three demonstrated less problem behavior with peers than children without external childcare experience ( Linberg et al, 2019 ). Contrary to the NICHD study, Linberg et al (2019) do not find any negative effects of early external childcare on later prosocial behavior, but actually a slight positive drift while using a set of control variables to control for potential selection effects into early institutional childcare like SES, income, or migration background. The results were stable even when considering intensity of care, group size, and activities in childcare institutions.…”

“…The structural characteristics of the family, such as socioeconomic and educational status (including income and home learning environment), but also external surroundings such as institutional childcare, account for variability in infants’ social competence ( Bronfenbrenner and Morris, 2006 ; Halle et al, 2009 ; Blomeyer et al, 2010 ; Kalb, 2017 ; Linberg A., 2017 ; Rose et al, 2018 ). Particularly for social competencies, such as problem behavior with peers and prosocial behavior, early external childcare seems to be highly relevant, due to the resulting increase in (and in some cases even first) interactions with peers and adults in the absence of a child’s parents ( Pfeffer, 2017 ; Linberg A., 2017 ; Linberg et al, 2019 ). Family context variables, such as low income, lack of social support, and migration background, are considered to be social risk factors which are potentially associated with children’s development ( Foster et al, 2005 ; Voltmer and von Salisch, 2019 ).…”

“…Yet not only the family and the institutional childcare environment are relevant for a child’s social development, but also the characteristics of the child him- or herself, e.g., his/her temperament. Linberg et al (2019) note that children with a difficult temperament tend to show less prosocial behavior when they are not enrolled in a childcare setting. Children with a mid-range difficult temperament seem to benefit especially from institutional childcare, as they show the highest scores for prosocial behavior when enrolled in early institutional childcare for two to 3 years.…”