Childcare in the Early Years: A Study of Its Impact on Long-Term Mental Health

Adrianne Tan (2024-25)

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the relationship between childcare type, age of entry into childcare, and later mental health outcomes in childhood and adolescence. Specifically, this study explored whether childcare type (in-home vs. out-of-home) and age of entry influenced hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and attention symptoms at ages 8 and 13.

Method: Data were drawn from the All Our Families pregnancy cohort (N = 3387), based in Calgary. Participants were predominantly White, English-speaking, highly educated, from higher-income households, and mostly married or in common-law relationships, and had children with an even sex distribution at birth. Childcare type was categorized as in-home or out-of-home, and age of entry was treated as a continuous variable based on follow-ups at 4 months, 1, 2, 3, and 4 years. Mental health outcomes were measured using the Behaviour Assessment System for Children (BASC) at age 8 (maternal report) and age 13 (youth self-report). Multivariate analyses examined the effects of childcare type, and regressions analyzed age of entry.

Results: After controlling for multiple analyses, no significant associations were found between childcare type and mental health outcomes. However, later childcare entry was associated with lower attention problems at age 8.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that childcare type does not significantly influence later mental health, while age of entry may have a small effect on attention. These results contribute to the mixed evidence on early childcare’s long-term impact and highlight the need for continued research on childcare timing and mental health.