CREATE Open Seminar - Expanding early child care in Norway: Effects on medium-run cognitive skills
This seminar will be held by Professor Henrik D. Zachrisson. In this talk, he will present findings from a study estimating the effects of the nationwide expansion of Norway’s universal early childhood education and care (ECEC) program for 1- and 2-year-olds in the early 2000s. Using data covering all children born between 2002 and 2007, the study shows that access to ECEC from age two improved later math and reading test scores, with particularly strong benefits for children from families with lower parental education levels.
Professor Henrik Daae Zachrisson.
Expanding early child care in Norway. Effects on medium-run cognitive skills Ingvild Almaas, Nina Drange, Costas Meghir and Henrik Zachrisson
"In this study, we estimate the effects of the scale-up of Norway’s universal ECEC program— expanding access to 1- and 2-year olds starting in the early 2000s—on standardized math and reading tests in 5th, 8th, and 9th grade and final grades in 10th grade. Our data is the Norwegian population of children born in 2002-2007. We find the scale-up of ECEC starting in the second year of life improved test scores, especially for children from families with low levels of parental education."
Published Nov. 11, 2025 2:41 PM
- Last modified Apr. 16, 2026 12:56 PM