The purposes of this study are to analyze the impact of the child care policies on the child care expenses and to suggest the policy implications for improving the child care policy. Recently, in order to solve low fertility problem, Korean Government...
The purposes of this study are to analyze the impact of the child care policies on the child care expenses and to suggest the policy implications for improving the child care policy. Recently, in order to solve low fertility problem, Korean Government has implemented various policies. Child care policy is one of the policies that solve a low fertility phenomenon. Child care importance is emphasized view of investments to development human resource of high quality in the future. It has been emphasized that child care is important as investment to develop human resource in the future.
In this context, government annually has expanded child allowances policy object. This means to strengthen the state responsibility for the child care and to reduce the parental nurture burden.
This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of child care polices that child allowances policy and provision of public child care facilities policy. Using the 2006~2012 Korean Welfare Panel Study(KWPS), this study analyzed the impact of the child care policies on the child care expenses. Especially, it is to examine whether female's employment status moderate the relationship between child care polices and child care expense.
Summary of major analytical results of this study are as follows:
Firstly, Fixed effects model of panel regression analysis indicates that the significant factors that affected child care expenses were mother's age, educational level, employment status, residential area, the numbers of children aged 0-5, the numbers of children(over 6), family type, the receipt of child allowances, and use of public child care facilities. This result indicated that child allowances and provision of public child care facilities policy have positive effects on child care expenses relaxation. Secondly, analysis results showed that the significant factors(mother's age, education level, residential area, the numbers of children aged 0-5, family type, the receipt of child allowances and use of public child care facilities) that affected child care expenses in case of the employed women group. Thirdly, analysis results showed that the significant factors(mother's age, education level, he numbers of children(over 6), the receipt of child allowances and use of public child care facilities) that affected child care expenses in case of the unemployed women group. These results indicated that child care policies should different on the female's employment status.
Based on the results, this study has theoretical implications as follows:
First, the results of this study support Esping-Andersen's welfare capitalism, Sainsbury's gender model, new household economics theory, and human capital theory which explains publicness of child care. Second, the results of this study shows that child allowances policy and provision of public child care facilities policy have significantly effects on the child care expenses. This implicates that importance of comprehensive discussion in the child care expense research. Third, the results of this study indicate that the variable of female's employment status is important moderator in the relationship between child care polices and child care expense.
This study draws political implications from the results of analysis. First, in order to reduce the child care expense, government must improve the child allowances policy. Second, use of public child care facilities has significantly positive effect on the child care expenses relaxation. This result implicates that governmental agencies should increase provision the public child care facility. Third, governmental agencies must consider the female's employment status for designing personalized child care policy. Finally, governmental agencies must make effort to support finance and institution in order to use other family members' help.