Project 1. MAR 2016 - 1. JAN 2023
CRUNCH
Participants:
- Miriam Wüst
- Mette Friis-Hansen
- Jens Dietrichson
Denmark invests significant resources on policies for the under-six-year-olds. While recent research indicates that early investments in human capital are cost-effective, this evidence is based on targeted interventions. The largest Danish public investments—home visiting for new families and daycare—are universal. Given remaining inequalities in children’s outcomes and mediocre school performances in international rankings, the central challenge for Danish services for the under-six-year-olds is: How can we gear the universal programs towards higher rates of return with respect to the promotion of social mobility? Can we adjust the timing, composition, and targeting of our core programs to optimize these early investments?
The Center for Research on Universal Child Policies (CRUNCH) will study the returns to and drawbacks of universal programs. Moreover, CRUNCH will experiment with reform options for existing programs.
We will rely on observational data and natural experiments, as well as intervention studies, in close cooperation with public and not-for profit private partners: First, we will generate a unique database combining unused municipal data on early investments and national administrative data. We will rely on policy variation across municipalities, nurses, and daycare centers to identify the impact of universal programs (which vary due to decentralized implementation and policy reforms).
Second, we will implement initiatives in the existing programs to increase their effectiveness (with our non-academic partners). We will disseminate findings nationally and internationally to ensure a high policy impact. For example, we evaluate the introduction of parental training classes for first-time parents in the home visiting program with Frederiksberg municipality).
The Center for Research on Universal Child Policies (CRUNCH) will study the returns to and drawbacks of universal programs. Moreover, CRUNCH will experiment with reform options for existing programs.
We will rely on observational data and natural experiments, as well as intervention studies, in close cooperation with public and not-for profit private partners: First, we will generate a unique database combining unused municipal data on early investments and national administrative data. We will rely on policy variation across municipalities, nurses, and daycare centers to identify the impact of universal programs (which vary due to decentralized implementation and policy reforms).
Second, we will implement initiatives in the existing programs to increase their effectiveness (with our non-academic partners). We will disseminate findings nationally and internationally to ensure a high policy impact. For example, we evaluate the introduction of parental training classes for first-time parents in the home visiting program with Frederiksberg municipality).
Participants
Project manager
Miriam WüstParticipants