Title

The long-reach of fathers’ earnings on children’s skills in two-parent families: Parental investments, family processes, and children’s language skills

Author(s)

Natasha Cabrera Natasha Cabrera (University of Maryland)

Ronald Mincy Ronald Mincy (Columbia University)

Hyunjoon Um Hyunjoon Um (Columbia University)

Abstract

Using a sample of 735 two-parent families drawn from the FFCWS, we examined the direct and indirect associations between fathers’ permanent earnings during the early childhood and children’s cognitive and behavioral outcomes at ages 5 and 9 through parental investments, family processes, and children’s skills at age 3. We found that fathers’ earnings in the early years were significantly related to children’s language skills at age 5 but not to aggressive behavior or to any outcomes at age 9. The association between earnings and language skills at age 5 and math and reading at age 9 were mediated by cognitively stimulating materials and children’s language skills at age 5. The effect sizes are small and the mediating effects of fathers’ earnings on reading and math are only for children of the highest earning fathers. For two-parent families, policies to increase fathers’ earnings alone will have little impact on children’s development.

Creation Date

2018

Section URL ID

Paper Number

WP18-06-FF

URL

https://fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/sites/fragilefamilies/files/wp18-06-ff.pdf

File Function

Jel

I24; J31

Keyword(s)

Early and middle childhood, FFCW, parental investment, coresidence

Suppress

false

Series

8