This research investigates three topics in child care quality, mother's labor supply, and early childhood development. In the first study, we evaluate how child care quality influences the potential impacts of mothers' labor supply on child development. Although, previous studies have acknowledged the importance of the quality of child care, none have integrated quality in analyzing the effects of maternal employment. We find that the negative effect often found in past studies is largely due to the use of low quality child care. The question we ask in the next study is, "What are the effects of child care quality on child development?" In this study we tried to separate out the contribution of initial child ability in child test scores of development from the effects of other inputs, particularly child care quality. We show that even after resolving endogeneity issues, we still find that child care quality has a significant positive effect on early cognitive development. The third study investigates the determinants of households' demand for child care, particularly, child care quality. We determine if households' choices regarding child care quality, as well as quantity, respond to economic factors. A family's condition is defined by the combination of family choices on mother's work status, mode and payment type of child care, and child's age. We group families by condition and estimate demand for child care quality and hours by group. The results indicate that higher income will lead to higher quality for non-working mothers but lower quality for some working mothers. Demand for quality by non-working mothers are more price sensitive than working mothers. Wage effects on quality are positive only for users of home-based care. Demand for quality is more sensitive to economic factors when the child is around 3 years old than at 6 months. These results suggest that the form, target and timing of financial assistance need to be considered for it to be effective in promoting the use of quality care. / Ph. D.

Nos últimos anos a educação tem sido alvo de muitos estudos, o que provavelmente reflete a sua grande importância no contexto de uma nação. A análise da questão educacional geralmente abrange dois aspectos: o atendimento escolar e a qualidade do ensino. No que tange à inclusão escolar no Brasil, sabe-se que essa variável teve sucesso durante a última década, entretanto, com relação à qualidade de ensino o mesmo não pode ser dito. O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar os determinantes do desempenho escolar das crianças brasileiras, tendo como foco principal a família. A abordagem do papel da família será realizada a partir de dois ensaios: análise do impacto da participação materna no mercado de trabalho sobre o desempenho educacional da criança e avaliação do papel exercido pela família em auxiliar a criança nas atividades escolares. O primeiro estudo utilizará os dados de duas sub-amostras da Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego (PME), dos anos de 1986 a 1995 e de 2002 a 2006. Já na segunda abordagem, serão utilizados os dados do Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Básica (SAEB), do ano de 2005, nos quais será analisado o desempenho dos estudantes das quartas séries do ensino fundamental. Em geral, os resultados indicaram evidências da relevância dos fatores familiares para os bons resultados escolares da criança, tanto pelo efeito negativo do trabalho materno como pelo efeito positivo de algumas variáveis de investimento e de interação familiar. / Recently, education has been examined by many studies, which reflects its great importance in the context of a nation. The analysis of the educational issue usually involves two aspects: school attendance and quality of education. With regard to Brazilian school attendance, it is known that this variable has had success over the last decade; however, the same can not be said about de quality of educational system. The aim of this research is to analyze the determinants of academic performance of Brazilian children, focusing on the family. The approach will analyze the impact of maternal labor on child educational performance and the role of the family in child school activities. The first study uses data from two sub-samples of Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego (PME), referring to periods from 1986 to 1995 and from 2002 to 2006. In the second approach, will be used data from Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Básica (SAEB) of 2005, where will be examined the students performance of the fourth series of primary school. The results, in general, show that family factors were relevant for child school performance, considering the negative effect of maternal employment and the positive effects of some variables of investment and family interaction.

Nos últimos anos a educação tem sido alvo de muitos estudos, o que provavelmente reflete a sua grande importância no contexto de uma nação. A análise da questão educacional geralmente abrange dois aspectos: o atendimento escolar e a qualidade do ensino. No que tange à inclusão escolar no Brasil, sabe-se que essa variável teve sucesso durante a última década, entretanto, com relação à qualidade de ensino o mesmo não pode ser dito. O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar os determinantes do desempenho escolar das crianças brasileiras, tendo como foco principal a família. A abordagem do papel da família será realizada a partir de dois ensaios: análise do impacto da participação materna no mercado de trabalho sobre o desempenho educacional da criança e avaliação do papel exercido pela família em auxiliar a criança nas atividades escolares. O primeiro estudo utilizará os dados de duas sub-amostras da Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego (PME), dos anos de 1986 a 1995 e de 2002 a 2006. Já na segunda abordagem, serão utilizados os dados do Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Básica (SAEB), do ano de 2005, nos quais será analisado o desempenho dos estudantes das quartas séries do ensino fundamental. Em geral, os resultados indicaram evidências da relevância dos fatores familiares para os bons resultados escolares da criança, tanto pelo efeito negativo do trabalho materno como pelo efeito positivo de algumas variáveis de investimento e de interação familiar. / Recently, education has been examined by many studies, which reflects its great importance in the context of a nation. The analysis of the educational issue usually involves two aspects: school attendance and quality of education. With regard to Brazilian school attendance, it is known that this variable has had success over the last decade; however, the same can not be said about de quality of educational system. The aim of this research is to analyze the determinants of academic performance of Brazilian children, focusing on the family. The approach will analyze the impact of maternal labor on child educational performance and the role of the family in child school activities. The first study uses data from two sub-samples of Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego (PME), referring to periods from 1986 to 1995 and from 2002 to 2006. In the second approach, will be used data from Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Básica (SAEB) of 2005, where will be examined the students performance of the fourth series of primary school. The results, in general, show that family factors were relevant for child school performance, considering the negative effect of maternal employment and the positive effects of some variables of investment and family interaction.

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