Peer-reviewed article
Childcare Subsidies and Reduced Intimate Partner Violence Victimization: An Unintended Benefit.
Katherine Marçal, Kathryn Showalter, Yanghyun Park, Kathryn Maguire-Jack, Olivia D Chang et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined whether government childcare subsidies reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) against mothers in low-income households. Using data from a large longitudinal study of 1,987 mothers in 20 American cities, researchers found that receiving a childcare subsidy was associated with significantly lower rates of IPV victimization. The study suggests that childcare subsidies may help reduce violence by alleviating economic strain and enabling mothers' financial independence.
Key points
- Receipt of childcare subsidies was associated with a significant 18% reduction in IPV victimization (β = -.18, p < .05)
- High costs of raising young children can create household conflict that increases violence risk
- Lack of formal childcare can force women out of the workforce, creating financial dependence on partners
- Maternal employment, parenting stress, and housing insecurity were associated with increased IPV regardless of subsidy receipt
- Childcare subsidies represent a policy tool with unintended benefits for protecting women from violence
Limitations
The study is observational rather than experimental, so causality cannot be definitively established; the analysis is limited to income-eligible mothers in relationships at year 3, which may not represent all women experiencing IPV or childcare challenges.
Abstract
Mothers in low-income households face an increased risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). The high costs of raising young children can create household conflict that makes violence more likely to occur. Furthermore, a lack of formal childcare can force women out of the workforce, rendering them financially dependent on partners. Childcare subsidies, which cover a portion of the expenses associated with center-based or in-home care for young children, can alleviate household economic strain and allow mothers to work, potentially reducing relationship conflict and promoting women's financial independence to leave abusive partners. The present study investigated the link between mothers' receipt of government childcare subsidies and IPV victimization. Data came from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a large longitudinal birth cohort study that sampled families from 20 large American cities. The analytic sample for the present study was limited to mothers who were income-eligible for a childcare subsidy in their home state and were in an intimate relationship at the year 3 interview when children were approximately 3 years old (N = 1,987). Path analysis with a latent dependent variable found that receipt of a childcare subsidy was associated with a significant decrease in IPV victimization (β = -.18, p < .05), controlling for a number of maternal and household characteristics. Maternal employment, parenting stress, and housing insecurity were associated with increased IPV, regardless of subsidy receipt. Findings suggest childcare subsidies are an important policy tool for targeting violence against women. Expansion of federal childcare subsidies may have additional unintended benefits for families.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Government childcare subsidies covering a portion of center-based or in-home childcare expenses
- Population
- 1,987 income-eligible mothers in intimate relationships at year 3 when children were approximately 3 years old, from 20 large American cities
Key finding
Receipt of childcare subsidy associated with significant decrease in IPV victimization (β = -.18, p < .05)
Marçal et al. · PubMed (US National Library of Medicine) · 1 May 2025