Table 4.
Propensity Score Regressions Predicting Bayley Cognitive Score at 24 Months by Quality and Type of Child Care (effect size estimates)
| (1) Unweighted β (SE) |
(2) ECLS-B Wave 2 Weight | (3) Propensity Score Weighted | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toddler Care Groups | |||
| Low quality care | −0.25*** (0.06) | −0.29*** (0.06) | −0.17* (0.08) |
| Medium quality care | Reference | Reference | Reference |
| High quality care | 0.13 (0.07) | 0.07 (0.08) | 0.38*** (0.11) |
| Exclusive parental care | −0.16*** (0.04) | −0.17*** (0.04) | −0.05 (0.06) |
| In child care – quality not observed | −0.11** (0.04) | −0.16*** (0.04) | 0.01 (0.06) |
| Child Covariates | |||
| Above 1.85 poverty threshold | 0.09*** (0.02) | 0.10** (0.03) | 0.01 (0.06) |
| 9m cognitive score | 0.32*** (0.02) | 0.32*** (0.03) | 0.32*** (0.04) |
| Race/ethnciiy (reference: white) | |||
| Black | −0.29*** (0.03) | −0.31*** (0.04) | −0.26*** (0.07) |
| Hispanic | −0.23*** (0.03) | −0.23*** (0.04) | −0.12 (0.08) |
| Other | −0.07** (0.03) | −0.14*** (0.04) | 0.03 (0.08) |
| Male | −0.31*** (0.02) | −0.31*** (0.03) | −0.36*** (0.05) |
| Birth Weight (reference not low) | |||
| Low birth weight | −0.19*** (0.03) | −0.20*** (0.03) | −0.08 (0.06) |
| Very low birth weight | −0.47*** (0.04) | −0.48*** (0.05) | −0.50*** (0.14) |
| Age at Bayley testing | −0.19*** (0.02) | −0.19*** (0.03) | −0.20*** (0.03) |
| First born child | −0.04 (0.03) | −0.02 (0.04) | −0.05 (0.07) |
| Family Covariates | |||
| Single mother | −0.02 (0.03) | −0.04 (0.04) | −0.21** (0.08) |
| Maternal care at 9 months | −0.04 (0.02) | −0.08** (0.03) | −0.05 (0.05) |
| English as Home Language | 0.23*** (0.03) | 0.27*** (0.04) | 0.30** (0.10) |
| Number of siblings | −0.07*** (0.01) | −0.04* (0.20) | −0.06 (0.03) |
| Maternal Ed (reference HS Diploma) | |||
| Less than HS | −0.06 (0.03) | −0.07 (0.04) | −0.26** (0.09) |
| Some College | 0.07** (0.03) | 0.06 (0.03) | 0.02 (0.06) |
| Bachelor’s or Higher | 0.31*** (0.03) | 0.29*** (0.04) | 0.18* (0.07) |
| Intercept | 1.24*** (0.09) | 1.26*** (0.15) | 0.14 (0.12) |
|
| |||
| N | 8350 | 8350 | 8350 |
| R2 | .246 | .218 | .294 |
Note. Standard errors in parentheses.
*
p < 0.05,
**
p < 0.01,
***
p < 0.001.
All covariates were measured at nine months. The dependent variable, prior Bayley score, child’s age, and number of siblings are z-scored. An indicator variable for whether a child was missing the Bayley at 9 months was included. ECLS-B weight W2C0 was used in regression 2. Tests for interactions between care type and poverty status were non-significant, as were tests for interactions between care type and quality (low, medium, and high). Ns were rounded to the nearest 50.